The number of coronavirus-related patients in Saskatchewan hospitals rose to a new high on Thursday.
In the province, 206 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 173 are receiving inpatient care and 33 are in intensive care.
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No new deaths were added to Saskatchewan’s death toll which stands at 206, according to the Saskatchewan government.
Health officials said there were 312 new cases in Thursday’s update, with the overall total for the province growing to 19,329 since the first case was reported in March 2020. The new seven-day average of daily cases is down to 313.
According to a press release, most of the new cases are located in the Saskatoon zone (99), followed by Regina (51), north central (39), far north east (29), south east (24), north west (18), far north west (14), far north central (8), north east (7), central east (7), south central (7), central west (2) and one is south west. Residence information is still pending for six new infections.
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There are currently 3,859 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.
Officials said 201 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 15,264 thus far.
According to the press release, 3,270 COVID-19 tests were performed on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. To date, 461,935 tests have been carried out in the province.
A total of 11,985 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Saskatchewan as of Thursday, provincial government officials said. They added the vaccination of seniors aged 70-plus in the Wakaw and Cudworth areas begins Friday.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) announced on Thursday that it’s making a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine available to people in the 70-plus age group in the north-central communities.
The Pfizer vaccine will be available to Saskatchewan seniors who are living independently in the area and are able to travel to immunization clinics, according to a press release. SHA said the vaccinations are by appointment only and will be entirely dependent on supply.
Booking information for the immunization clinics is as follows:
Big River clinic
- Thursday, Jan. 14, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Big River Primary Care Clinic. To book your appointment, call 306-469-2505.
Canwood clinic
- Friday, Jan. 15, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Canwood Community Clinic. To book an appointment, call 306-468-2400.
Shellbrook clinic
- Friday, Jan. 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Parkland Integrated Health Center. To book an appointment, call 306-747-6812.
Birch Hills
- Friday, Jan. 15, at the Birch Hills Primary Care Clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To book an appointment, call 306-749-3331.
Debden clinic
- Tuesday, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Debden Community Center. To book an appointment, call 306-469-2505.
Blaine Lake
- Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Blaine Lake Primary Care Clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To book an appointment, call 306-497-2494.
Candle Lake
- Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Candle Lake Primary Care Clinic from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. To book an appointment, call 306-929-2414.
Christopher Lake
- Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Christopher Lake Legion Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To book an appointment, call 306-961-4696.
Officials with SHA said recent weather in southern parts of the province has made transportation challenging, if not impossible in some locations, and to take this into account when booking an appointment.
SHA CEO Scott Livingstone and Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, are expected to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in the province at 3 p.m.
Global News will stream the press conference live on our website.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.