An additional 5,399 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 608,524.

The 5,399 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far Northwest, 51; Far Northeast, 30; Northwest, 370; North Central, 245; Northeast, 44; Saskatoon, 1,523; Central West, 70; Central East, 221; Regina, 1,955; Southwest, 79; South Central, 132; and Southeast, 381. There were 298 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Seventy-five per cent of those over the age of 40 have received their first dose. Sixty-eight per cent of those 30-plus have received their first dose. Fifty-nine per cent of those 18-plus have received their first dose.

Vaccination Booking System Open to Ages 16-plus
Eligibility in the provincial age-based immunization program is currently age 16 and older for the entire province, including the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. This applies to all immunization clinics: booked appointments, drive-thru/walk-ins, pharmacies and mobile clinics.

Prioritized front-line workers who become eligible based on age, will not be required to provide proof of employment at the time of immunization.

Residents aged 16-plus may book online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829). They may also attend a scheduled drive-thru or book at a participating pharmacy. Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking. Please do not call until you are eligible to book your vaccination appointment.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has scheduled drive-thru and walk-in clinics throughout the province. For street addresses and hours of operation for these clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

The current list of pharmacies offering vaccinations is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies. Find participating pharmacies near you using the map tool.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization. Additional stops should be avoided if possible when travelling to another community for an appointment. More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

There is a vaccination clinic in Drayton, North Dakota where eligible truck drivers and essential energy workers are able to receive their vaccine. This clinic is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Second Dose Booking Available for Priority Populations
Second dose vaccinations are underway beginning with anyone who is 85 and older or who received their first dose before February 15. Individuals diagnosed with or being treated for cancer and those who have received solid organ transplants will receive a letter of eligibility in the mail that will allow them priority access to a second dose.

For all other residents, eligibility to book for second doses is based on age or date of first dose. Residents who meet at least one of these criteria will be eligible for their second dose.

For all other residents, eligibility to book for second doses will be announced according to the age-based and priority sequencing of first doses. The following table is a tentative guideline; timelines may change due to vaccine availability. Astra Zeneca is not included in this table as we await advice on the use of Astra Zeneca for timing of second doses.

Second dose vaccinations will be available at participating pharmacies across the province, through the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) drive-thru and walk-in clinics as well as through clinics operated by Indigenous Services Canada and the Northern Inter-tribal Health Authority (NITHA).

Second dose vaccinations can be booked online or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829). Be ready by knowing the date you received your first vaccine. If you do not know the date or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, they can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

During your second dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe. The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised to ensure that you are receiving the same vaccine brand for your second dose.

At this time, public health is planning to offer your second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to match the brand of your first dose. National reviews of the safety and efficacy of interchanging the second dose brand are on-going and the provincial policy on maintaining the same brand for the second dose may be updated following this review.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics
There are 129 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan May 18, bringing the provincial total to 44,841 cases. Three cases tested out of province have been added to the Regina, 2; and Saskatoon, 1, zones.

Three new deaths are reported today. All three individuals were in the 70-79 age group and from the Far Northeast, 1; and Saskatoon, 2 zones.

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far Northwest, 1; Far Northeast, 5; Northwest, 18; North Central, 14; Northeast, 4; Saskatoon, 47; Central West, 3; Central East, 5; Regina, 22; Southwest, 1; South Central, 2; and Southeast, 7. Three cases with pending residence information have been assigned to the Northwest, 1; and Regina, 2.

Recoveries total 42,494 and 1,825 cases are considered active.

There are 142 people in hospital. One hundred fifteen people are receiving inpatient care: Northwest, 6; North Central, 5; Saskatoon, 44; Central East, 5; Regina, 47; Southwest, 2; South Central, 2; and Southeast, 4. Twenty-seven people are in intensive care: Northwest, 1; North Central, 2; Saskatoon, 9; and Regina, 15.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 187 (15.3 new cases per 100,000). A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past few months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 2,629 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan May 17.

To date, 827,762 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of May 16, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 695,870 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 883,885.

As of May 17, 9,467 variants of concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far Northwest, 209; Far Northeast, 18; Northwest, 422; North Central, 293; Northeast, 55; Saskatoon, 1,336; Central West, 101; Central East, 475; Regina, 4,428; Southwest, 322; South Central, 681; and Southeast, 978. There are 149 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are one hundred forty-three new lineage results reported today. Of the 4,586 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 4,477 are B.1.1.1.7 (UK), 92 are P.1 (Brazilian), 10 are B.1.351 (SA), and seven are B.1.617 (Indian).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, 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 health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Negative COVID-19 Test Results On Your Phone Beginning Tomorrow
Beginning Wednesday, May 19 you may receive notification of a negative COVID-19 test result through an automated text messaging system. To prepare for this notification option, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) began data collection on Friday, May 14 through the online requisition form at drive-thru and static testing sites. Individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test result will still receive a call from public health, providing them with direction on self-isolation and to complete contact tracing questions. If your COVID-19 test is negative, you can receive your results by text message to your cell phone.

You will be asked to grant permission to receive negative test results via text message at the time of your COVID-19 test. These text messages will be identified as originating from the Saskatchewan Health Authority and you will be asked to verify if you are the correct recipient for the results. If you are not the right recipient and an incorrect contact number has been provided, the Saskatchewan Health Authority will use other contact methods to provide those negative test results to the right person. You will not be asked for any personal information via text message.

Reopen Saskatchewan Roadmap
Reopening the province is based on the rapid expansion and delivery of larger volumes of COVID-19 vaccine, with the expectation that all residents in Saskatchewan over the age of 12 will have an opportunity to receive their first dose of vaccine by the end of May 2021. It will occur in three steps, with approximately three weeks between each step.

The ability to quickly and efficiently Reopen Saskatchewan will rely on three fundamental principles:

• Everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated should be immunized as soon as possible – with the first available vaccine.
• The province receives the supply of vaccines it is expecting in a timely manner.
• Be patient and follow the public health orders in place.
  Find the details of the plan at Saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Don’t Let COVID-19 Hitch a Ride Home with You
While Saskatchewan continues to monitor COVID-19 trends throughout the province, public health reminds all residents to ensure any travel both within the province and inter-provincially is for essential purposes only.

If your inter-provincial travel is necessary, please be aware of the risk of transmission in those jurisdictions, the public health orders that are in effect there, and plan to be tested immediately upon returning home.

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.