An additional 2,298 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 151,507.

The 2,298 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered in the following regions: Far Northwest (274), Far Northeast (66), Northeast (101), Saskatoon (953), Central West (119), Central East (147), Southeast (103) and Regina (1,177). The Southeast zone reported a data correction to remove 642 previously reported vaccinations.

The Pfizer shipments for Regina (15,210 doses) and Saskatoon (17,550) were received yesterday, with the Yorkton (3,510 doses) shipment expected to arrive March 24 by end of day. A Moderna shipment (24,200 doses) is expected Thursday, March 25.

The appointment booking system has expanded to include residents 65 years and older. These residents are encouraged to book their COVID-19 vaccination and can do so online or by phone. Additional information on eligibility and how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

More than two-thirds of Saskatchewan residents age 80 and over and 30 per cent of Saskatchewan residents in their 70s have now received their first dose.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics
There are 190 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan March 24, bringing the provincial total to 32,181 cases.

One (1) Saskatchewan resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died. The death was reported in the 80-plus age group from the Northwest zone.

The new cases are located in the Far Northwest (7), Far Northeast (1), Northwest (10), North Central (2), Northeast (4), Saskatoon (26), Central East (5), Regina (116), Southwest (1), South Central (2) and Southeast (9) zones. Seven (7) new cases are pending residence information.

There are a total of 30,196 recoveries and 1,565 cases are considered active.

One hundred forty-seven (147) people are in hospital. One hundred twenty-five (125) people are receiving inpatient care: Far Northwest (4), Far Northeast (1), Northwest (6), North Central (6), Northeast (1), Saskatoon (41), Central East (7), Regina (46), Southwest (2), South Central (4) and Southeast (7). Twenty-two (22) people are in intensive care: Saskatoon (8), Central East (2), Regina (11) and South Central (1).

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 173 (14.1 new cases per 100,000). A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Visit https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 3,775 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan March 23, 2021.

To date, 640,259 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of March 22, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 536,498 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 704,595 tests performed per million population.

As of March 23, 954 variants of concern (VOC) have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the Far Northeast (1), Saskatoon (18), Central East (10), Regina (824), South Central (56) and Southeast (45) zones. These have previously been reported as “presumptive positives” but all screening tests will be considered confirmed VOCs for the purposes of public reporting and contact investigations. Please note these VOC may have been initially identified via means other than screening (i.e. selection for whole genome sequencing without screening) and that whole genome sequencing results to identify lineage are included in the screening results.

There are no new lineage results reported today. Of the 360 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 352 are B1.1.1.7 (UK) and eight are B1.351 (SA). The Regina zone accounts for 313 (or 87 per cent) of the VOC cases with confirmed lineage reported in Saskatchewan. Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns, depending on testing for that case. Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among healthcare workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, the per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Visit http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

New Public Health Measures for Regina and Area
Due to increased COVID-19 transmission risk in Regina and area, the chief medical health officer announced amendments to the public health order. The new orders announced yesterday will remain in effect until April 5 and reviewed at that time.

The following revisions to the public health order are effective immediately: restricting private indoor gatherings to immediate household members only; limiting non-essential travel to Regina and area; and working from home when possible.

Effective 12:01 a.m., Sunday, March 28, all restaurants and licensed establishments must close for in-person dining. Take-out and delivery is permitted. Event venues including banquet and community halls, conference facilities, arts venues, museums, libraries, live theatre, cinemas, arcades, bowling and science centres, or any non-essential indoor locations that had limits of 30 individuals are not permitted to operate at this time.

Places of worship in the Regina may continue at the current capacity level, which is a maximum of 30 individuals.

Full details on the current public health measures can be found at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-measures.

Enforcing Public Health Measures
Enforcement of public health orders is permitted under The Public Health Act, 1994. Public health inspectors and other enforcement officers will be supported in their efforts to ticket violators to ensure businesses and events are brought into compliance as quickly as possible, in addition to the enforcement efforts that have been undertaken by police agencies throughout the province.

For more information on the current public health measures or to see the Public Health Order, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-measures.

General COVID-19 Information
General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Know your risk. Keep yourself and others safe. www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/about-covid-19/know-your-risk.