Latest COVID update Jan. 6: Record highs in new and active cases

Saskatchewan has set records for daily cases of COVID-19 as well as active cases.

The Ministry of Health on Thursday reported 913 new cases, breaking the previous record of 735 that was set Friday.

There were 432 cases detected in the Saskatoon region on 1,122 tests for a test positivity rate of 38.5. The Regina region reported 198 new cases and 547 tests for a test positivity rate of 36.2.

There also were 140 recoveries and one death announced by the province, moving the active case total to a record high of 5,235. The previous mark of 4,864 was set on Sept. 26.

The death was a person in the 60-to-79 age group from the Saskatoon region. They were the 961st Saskatchewan resident to die due to COVID.

The number of COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals fell by six from Wednesday’s report, to 100. That included 12 people in intensive care, one fewer than was reported Wednesday.

A look at the numbers

The other new cases were reported in the southeast (50), central-east (47), south-central (27), northwest (24), southwest (18), north-central (14), northeast (14), central-west (14), far northwest (six) and far northeast (three) regions.

The hometowns of 66 new cases were still being determined.

The province’s total of 88,638 cases included another 17 residents who tested positive outside Saskatchewan.

The seven-day average of new cases rose to 597, its highest mark ever.

The total number of cases Thursday included 236 people in their 20s and 185 in their 30s.

To date, there have been 82,442 recoveries reported in the province.

There were another 2,172 doses of COVID vaccines administered in Saskatchewan, including 790 first shots and 1,382 second shots.

Nearly 1.81 million jabs have been given so far in the province, with 862,561 second shots.