Saskatchewan is creeping towards 2,000 COVID-19-related deaths since the novel coronavirus was first detected in the province in March, 2020.

According to the latest Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program (C-R-I-S-P) report released Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported 16 COVID-related deaths, all Saskatchewan residents aged 60-and-over, plus one fatality due to influenza over the last four weeks. In total, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 1,977 people in the province. In addition, COVID-related hospitalizations dropped from 62 in the week of April 23-29 to 34 last week with virus-related admissions to an I-C-U down to three from six over the last month. However, hospitalizations and test positive for influenza in Saskatchewan have gone up in the past month. No reason was given in the report as to why.