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The number of active COVID-19 cases being reported in Saskatchewan has fallen below 2,000 for the first time since mid-November.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said there were 1,968 active cases in the province — the lowest that number has been since it stood at 1,928 on Nov. 16.
The province announced 180 new cases and 245 recoveries, as well as two more deaths.
Two people from the Saskatoon zone — one in their 70s and one in the 80-and-over age group — died due to COVID-19. The death toll in the province due to the virus rose to 348.
The ministry also reported a business — Bud’s on Broadway in Saskatoon — had been fined $14,000 for failing to abide by public health orders.
Three individuals were given $2,800 tickets for failing to wear masks in public places as required by the public health orders.
“Public health will be determining whether tickets will be issued for breaches observed in Regina and Saskatoon on Sunday,” the ministry added in its media release.
A look at the numbers
The new cases reported Wednesday increased the provincial total to date to 25,843.
The cases were in the Regina (58), Saskatoon (43), far northwest (22), north-central (19), northwest (17), central-east (five), southeast (four), far northeast (three), northeast (two), far north-central (one), central-west (one) and south-central (one) areas.
The hometowns of four cases are being determined.
The seven-day average of new cases is 201, or 16.4 per 100,000 population.
The number of hospitalizations in the province dropped to 196, the first time it has been under 200 since Jan. 24.
There are 28 people in Saskatchewan intensive care units, with 10 in each of the Regina and Saskatoon zones, three in the central-east area, two in each of the northwest and north-central zones, and one in the southwest.
Of the 168 people receiving inpatient care, 59 are in the Saskatoon area, 45 are in the Regina region and 24 are in the north-central zone.
The 2,353 tests done in the province on Tuesday increased the provincial total so far to 533,179. Saskatchewan’s per-capita rate of 450,357 tests performed per million population lags behind the national rate of 589,461 per million.
Vaccination update
There were 638 vaccinations done in Saskatchewan on Tuesday — 256 in the far northwest zone, 208 in the far northeast, 67 in the northeast, 46 in the north-central zone, 38 in the Saskatoon area and 23 in the far north-central region.
Further analysis determined another 212 doses were delivered in the central-west zone this week.
The total number of vaccinations so far in Saskatchewan stands at 45,371.
The next shipment of 1,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine is to arrive in Prince Albert on Thursday.
