Sask. reports 417 people with COVID in hospital, 890 new cases, 22 deaths

The number of people with COVID-19 in Saskatchewan hospitals has risen to a record high.

As of Wednesday, there were 417 people with COVID in health-care facilities in the province. The previous high was 410, set in mid-February.

The total announced Thursday by the Ministry of Health also marked the fifth straight week with an increase. The latest number included 160 people with COVID-related illnesses, 225 who were incidental infections and 32 who were under investigation.

There were 25 people in intensive care units, the same number as the week before.

The weekly epidemiological report also said there were 890 new cases detected by laboratory testing as of last Saturday, along with 22 deaths.

The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (258), Regina (134), central-east (90), northwest (66), southeast (56), north-central (54), south-central (52), central-west (38), southwest (34), northeast (31), far northwest (19) and far northeast (eight) zones.

The hometowns of 50 cases were pending.

The number of new cases was down from 1,050 in the previous week.

The total of new cases doesn’t include positive results detected by rapid antigen tests.

The latest deaths included six in the Regina zone, five in the northwest, three in each of the central-east and south-central regions, two in each of the north-central and southeast areas, and one in Saskatoon.

There were 12 deaths in the 80-and-over age range, seven in the 70-to-79 age group, two in the 60-to-69 range, and one in the 40-to-59 category

To date, 1,295 Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID. That number includes 597 people who were aged 80 and over and 288 individuals who were in their 70s.

There were 539 new lineage results reported during the week, all of them Omicron. The BA.2 sublineage accounted for 61.4 per cent of the variants of concern reported during the week.

The report said there were 18 new confirmed outbreaks in care homes, with 11 in long-term care homes and seven in personal care homes.

Vaccination update

The percentage of Saskatchewan people aged five and up who have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine rose by 0.1 per cent during the week, to 85.8. That same increase was reported in the percentage of residents who have completed a two-dose series (80.8).

However, there was a large increase in booster doses week over week.

After giving 1,997 booster shots between April 3 and 9, health-care professionals administered 9,553 boosters last week — including 8,077 second boosters. That’s likely the result of expanded eligibility for fourth shots.

According to the government, from Feb. 13 to last Saturday, the risk of hospitalization, ICU admission and death was five, nine and seven times higher respectively among unvaccinated people versus those who had received two shots and one booster.

The ministry also said a new intravenous antiviral treatment — Remdesivir — had been added to the list of treatments available in the province.

Saskatchewan has been giving that drug in hospital, but it now will be available on an outpatient basis with three straight days of intravenous treatment.

People are eligible if they have a positive COVID test result and: Are immunocompromised or are 70 years and older with certain risk factors, regardless of vaccination status; are 18 or older and are not fully vaccinated; and, are not in hospital and/or require supplemental oxygen.

Treatment must occur within seven days of a positive test and becoming symptomatic.

The government is still offering the oral antiviral Paxlovid, which is available by prescription.