With another fatality related to COVID-19, there have now been 411 deaths connected to the virus in Saskatchewan. The province is reporting the latest death was a person from Saskatoon in the 80 and over category. There are also 115 new cases of the virus, for a provincial total of 31,085.
None of the new cases have been confirmed as one of the variants of concern. To date, there are 135 in the province, with 129 being the UK variant and six are the South African variant. The Regina zone has 90 per cent of those, at 121. But there are also 433 presumptive cases, with 368 in Regina and the next highest number is 27 in the South Central Zone.
As of noon today (Thurs), residents 67 and older can book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments online or by phone, as Phase 2 of the vaccine delivery plan begins.Also in Phase 2 are those considered clinically extremely vulnerable and select settings like group homes for people with intellectual disabilities and for emergency shelters.
Although two COVID-19 variants have arrived in Saskatchewan and Regina has 90 per cent of the confirmed cases and 85 per cent of the presumed cases, Health Minister Paul Merriman doesn’t feel there should be stricter guidelines, other than the recommendation for the Regina area not to expand household bubbles at this time. He says the restrictions that began in December were effective in slowing down transmission, and now there is no reason to think that following the safety practices we have always followed through the pandemic won’t work.
Vaccines Reported
An additional 5,430 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 118,195.
The 5,430 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered in the following regions: Far North West (274), Far North East (131), North West (641), North Central (178), North East (54), Saskatoon (778), Central West (35), Central East (33), Regina (2,630), South West (431), and South East (245). Of the doses administered March 17, 1,904 were delivered at the Regina drive thru clinic location alone.
For a listing of first and second doses in Saskatchewan administered by geographic zone, visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-update.
As of March 17, 66,101 appointments have been booked using the new appointment systems: 47,726 online and 18,375 by telephone.
Phase 2 Vaccine Delivery Plan Launched
Starting at noon today, residents 67 years and older can book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments online or by phone.
Also included in Phase Two are those considered clinically extremely vulnerable and select congregate living settings such as group homes for persons with intellectual disabilities and emergency shelters.
• Individuals who may be considered clinically extremely vulnerable will receive a letter with instructions for booking appointments. A complete list of clinically extremely vulnerable conditions is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19.
• Congregate living settings will be contacted about how they may book appointments based on their services and clients, whether online, by phone, or through a mobile clinic.
While the eligibility categories have broadened into the Phase 2 recommendations, vaccinations and eligibility for individuals identified in Phase 1 will continue until completed. This includes completing all first and second doses for long-term care and personal care home residents and staff.
Additional information on eligibility and how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-booking.
Drive-thru Vaccination Clinic in Regina Expanded to Residents Aged 68, 69
Following the updated National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidance that residents older than 65 may receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, the drive-thru immunization clinic in Regina is now available to residents aged 60-64, 68 and 69. The stepped approach to adding age groups is to ensure that the site can support the demand. It is anticipated that the Regina drive thru will be opened to ages 65, 66 and 67 in the days ahead.
The drive-thru clinic is located on the grounds of the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (Lewvan Drive and 11th Avenue) and is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis for the eligible age group. You cannot pre-book an appointment for the drive-thru clinic.
It is anticipated that this age range will continue to expand rapidly, and eligible residents are asked to check the website regularly for the latest: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-booking.
Daily COVID-19 Statistics
There are 115 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on March 18, bringing the provincial total to 31,085 cases.
One Saskatchewan resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died. The death was reported in the 80+ age group from the Saskatoon zone.
The new cases are located in the Far North West (1), North West (4), North Central (3), North East (3), Saskatoon (15), Central West (2), Central East (5), Regina (65), South West (3), South Central (3) and South East (8) zones. Three (3) new cases are pending residence information. Four (4) cases with pending residence information were assigned to the North Central zone.
There are a total of 29,392 recoveries and 1,282 cases are considered active.
One hundred thirty-six (136) people are in hospital. One hundred and nine (109) people are receiving inpatient care: Far North West (3), Far North East (1), North West (5), North Central (6), Saskatoon (41), Central East (6), Regina (41), South West (1), South Central (2) and South East (3). Twenty-seven (27) people are in intensive care: North West (1), Saskatoon (11), Central East (3), Regina (11) and South Central (1).
The seven-day average of daily new cases is 128 (10.4 new cases per 100,000). A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Please visit https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.
There were 2,872 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on March 17, 2021.
To date, 620,536 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of March 16, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 521,050 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 687,834 tests performed per million population.
As of March 18, there are no new confirmed variants of concern (VOC) cases to report. There are 135 confirmed variants of concern cases in Saskatchewan: 129 B1.1.1.7 (UK) and six B1.351 (SA). The Regina zone accounts for 121 (or 90 per cent) of the confirmed VOC cases reported in Saskatchewan.
In addition to the confirmed cases, there are currently 433 presumptive VOC cases reported in the Far North East (1), Saskatoon (12), Central East (6), Regina (368), South Central (27) and South East (19) zones.
Further statistics on the total number of cases among healthcare workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, the per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Please visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/cases-and-risk-of-covid-19-in-saskatchewan.
Act to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission in Regina
There is an elevated risk of COVID-19 in Regina due to community transmission of variants of concern.
It is recommended that Regina and area residents – particularly those over age 50 – should not consider increasing their household bubbles to include 2-3 households up to 10 people. They should consider remaining with their current household only.
While worship services throughout the province will be able to expand to 30 per cent of capacity or 150 people, whichever is the lesser number starting March 19, places of worship in Regina and adjacent communities will remain at the current capacity level which is a maximum of 30 individuals, with required physical distancing and masking guidelines. This will remain in effect until April 5, 2021 and will be evaluated at that time.
The adjacent communities include: Belle Plaine, Pense, Grand Coulee, Lumsden Beach, Regina Beach, Craven, Lumsden, Edenwold, Pilot Butte, White City, Balgonie, Kronau, Davin, Gray, Riceton, RM of Lajord, RM of Edenwold, RM of Sherwood, RM of Pense, and RM of Lumsden.
All residents of Regina, those who work in Regina and area and those who are planning travel to the region, are asked to abide by all best personal protective measures at this time to avoid further restrictions. Minimize the risk in the city and throughout the region.
• Wear your mask in all public places including all workplaces
• Wash non-medical masks daily
• Maintain physical distancing
• Wash your hands frequently
• Reduce activities outside of your home. Order take-out or curbside pick-up. If you are able to work from home, work from home at this time.
• Avoid all unnecessary travel to and from Regina
If you have any symptoms, stay home and arrange for a COVID-19 test. If anyone in your home has symptoms, the entire household should remain home until the test results are known. Testing information is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/testing-information.
Enforcing Public Health Measures
Enforcement of public health orders is permitted under The Public Health Act, 1994. Public health inspectors will be supported in their efforts to ticket violators to ensure that businesses and events are brought into compliance as quickly as possible, in addition to the enforcement efforts that have been undertaken by police agencies throughout the province.
For more information on the current public health measures or to see the Public Health Order, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-measures.
Weekly Reporting of Testing Numbers and Cases for Youth
The trends of COVID-19 cases in school-aged children are being monitored. The weekly report of cases and testing numbers for children aged 0-19, including data by age and positivity rates, has been posted at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19-Safe-Schools-Plan.
General COVID-19 Information
General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.
Know your risk. Keep yourself and others safe. www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/about-covid-19/know-your-risk
