There are 27 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on August 13, bringing the total to 1,511 total cases. The new cases are located in the South West (18), South Central (4), Saskatoon (3) and Regina (2) regions.
Of the 1,511 reported cases, 166 are considered active. A total of 1,325 people have recovered.
Ten people are in hospital. Five people are receiving inpatient care; three in Saskatoon, one in Regina and one in the North Central region. Five people are in intensive care; three in Saskatoon, one in the North Central region and one in the South West.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority continues to work closely with Hutterite communities throughout the province. While many of these communities have seen a significant decline in active cases, aggressive testing and contact tracing continues to find new cases in some communities. These efforts are ongoing. Twenty-two of today’s 27 new cases and 95 of 166 active cases are in communal living settings.
Of the 1,511 cases in the province:
• 216 cases are travellers;
• 775 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 411 have no known exposures; and
• 109 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.
• There are:
o 359 cases are from the south area (178 south west, 170 south central, 11 south east);
o 352 cases are from the far north area (346 far north west, 0 far north central, 6 far north east)
o 245 cases are from the Saskatoon area;
o 233 cases are from the north area (101 north west, 67 north central, 65 north east);
o 190 cases are from the central area (160 central west, 30 central east); and
o 131 cases are from the Regina area.
• 246 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 479 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 476 are in the 40-59 age range; 255 are in the 60-79 age range; and 55 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, 116,804 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan. As of August 11, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 84,200 people tested per million population. The national rate was 121,858 people tested per million population.
Yesterday, 1,800 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan.
COVID-19 Testing
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is working to increase testing capacity to 3,000 tests per day by the middle of August and 4,000 tests per day by the beginning of September. 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. Contact your physician’s office if you are experiencing worsening symptoms. If you require urgent care, call 911.
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 and wear a mask when in situations where recommended physical distancing will be difficult to maintain.
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.
General COVID-19 Information
General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.
Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.
(Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Government)