One day after the government announced new public health measures to curb COVID-19, there was a disturbing increase in positive cases of the virus. There are 308 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. Fifty-seven people are in hospital. Both are new day-time highs with Saskatchewan bordering on almost 5,000 cases of COVID-19 to date.

Saskatoon again takes in the largest portion of the new cases at 123. Twenty six were in the Far North West, eight in Far North Central, 16 in Far North East, 23 in the North West, 30 each in the North Central and North East. Seven-a-piece for Central west and Central east while Regina records 20, South East and South Central record three each and South West with two. Ten new cases having pending residence information.

The additional cases announced Saturday have pushed the number of active cases at 1,691 and 500 of those are in Saskatoon. The Ministry of Health says the high number of reported cases Saturday are partly due to the snowstorm that impacted last weekend and the beginning of this week which mean fewer people going for testing and some delays in getting samples from remote locations to the provincial labs. The province’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab says Saturday’s case numbers are a reminder that the spread of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan is higher now than it has ever been since the beginning of COVID-19. Of the 57 people in hospital, 41 are receiving in patient care and 16 people are in intensive care.