COVID-19 in Sask.: 49 new cases, no new deaths Saturday

Saskatchewan saw the number of active COVID-19cases and the number of COVID-19-relatedhospitalizations in the province increase on Saturday.

Saskatchewan reported 49 new cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus an increase from the 21 new cases reported Friday.

That brings the province's total number of cases to 48,931 since the start of the pandemic, according to an update on the province's online COVID-19 dashboard.

As of Saturday, 421 of those cases remain active, up from 405 on Friday.

There have been an additional 33 recoveries from the illness, meaning a total of47,942 people have now recovered from COVID-19 in Saskatchewan since the start of the pandemic.

The province did not report any new COVID-19-related deaths on Saturday, with the tally remaining at 568. There have been no deaths from the illness reported in Saskatchewan since Tuesday.

The seven-day rolling average of cases now sits at 36 cases per day, or 2.9 per 100,000 people.

That's part of the continued downward trend of cases in the province after reaching a peakseven-day rolling average of 287 in mid-April.

The new cases reported on Saturdaywere in the following regions:

• Far northwest: four.
• Far northeast: 14.
• Northwest: five.
• North central: two.
• Saskatoon: seven.
• Regina: nine.
• Southwest: one.
• South central: two.
• Southeast: two.

The province reports that 60 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19 up from 57 on Friday.Nine of those peopleare in intensive care.

Vaccinations

Saskatchewan administered 8,392 vaccine doseson Friday, bringing the total number to 1,202,927.

Demand for second doses in the province has continued.

On Friday, 7,660 second doses were administered. Only 732 first doses were given out during the same time period.

The Saskatchewan government will lift all public health orders in just over a week July 11 including the mandatory masking and gathering size limits.

Although many are taking a long weekend, some drive-thru clinics are open in different locations across the province.

Saskatoon's Prairieland Park drive-thru clinicis open all weekend until 8 p.m. CST. On Saturday it is offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while on Sunday it will provide Moderna.

Regina's drive-thru site at Evraz Place will be open throughout the weekend from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. CST, offering doses of Pfizer.

People can also book theirappointments onlineor visit alocal pharmacy.

The province processed 1,679 tests on Saturday.