The official number of new cases in Saskatchewan to date now sits at 1,450 after five new cases were reported Monday. There is one new case each in both the Saskatoon and South Central zones as well as three in Regina. Eight more people recovered from COVID-19 and 165 cases are considered active. There are 13 people in hospital around the province with five of those people in intensive care.
Saskatchewan Health officials say that as of Sunday, 18 employees of K-Bro Linens in Regina have tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 11 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Regina Saturday, all were either K-Bro employees or close contacts of the employees. Most were identified through contact tracing. There were 119 tests performed on-site at the facility and more tests were conducted at testing sites after a Healthline 8-1-1 referral. All employees, and anyone in close contact, who tested positive for COVID-19, are self isolating.
Of the 1,450 cases in the province:
206 cases are travellers;
723 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
399 have no known exposures; and
122 are under investigation by local public health.
Overall in Saskatchewan:
64 cases are healthcare workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to healthcare in all instances.
352 cases are from the far north area (346 far north west, 0 far north central, 6 far north east), 330 cases are from the south area (156 south west, 163 south central, 11 south east), 231 cases are from the north area (100 north west, 66 north central, 65 north east), 225 cases are from the Saskatoon area, 190 cases are from the central area (160 central west, 30 central east) and 121 cases are from the Regina area.
230 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
459 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 459 are in the 40-59 age range; 248 are in the 60-79 age range; and 54 are in the 80-plus range.
50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
20 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.
To date, 113,045 COVID19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan. As of August 8, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 82,021 people tested per million population. The national rate was 118,327 people tested per million population.
Yesterday, 1,297 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Health Authority Advisories
Over the past few days, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has issued several precautionary advisories for Regina and Saskatoon regarding the possibility of COVID-19 transmission at local businesses. Residents can find more details on these advisories at https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/.
Everyone should continue to take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including:
Practice proper cough and sneezing etiquette (into a tissue or the bend of your elbow);
Wash your hands often with soap and water; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
Stay home if you are sick; and
Practice physical distancing.
You should always be aware of who you have been in contact with over the past two weeks. If you test positive for COVID-19, these are the people who will need to be contacted by public health.
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811. Since introducing universal testing, there has been an increase in requests to be tested with the corresponding increase in provincial testing numbers. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is working to ensure responsive service timing. Contact your physician’s office if you are experiencing worsening symptoms. If you require urgent care, call 911.
