COVID-19 in Sask.: 150 new cases, one death, total variants reach more than 891

Saskatchewan reported 150 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, along with one new death — a person in their 60s from the south central zone. 

The province is reporting 891 variants of concern identified through screening in Saskatchewan. That screening is a short test conducted on all COVID-19 samples to identify cases caused by variants.

The province said 360 samples have completed genome sequencing at the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory. That testing involves DNA sequencing to find out which COVID-19 variant it is. The province said the two numbers cannot be added together to show a total of variant cases, as some would then be double-counted. 

The provincial government announced new restrictions in Regina and area on Tuesday to cope with surging COVID-19 numbers.

Effective immediately, all private indoor gatherings in the city are prohibited. That means only members of a household are allowed inside their home. More restrictions kick in on Sunday, including a ban on in-person dining at restaurants.

The province also announced a change in how it is reporting cases involving cases involving variants of concern, which are more transmissible than the original coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

"These have previously been reported as 'presumptive positives,' but all screening tests will be considered confirmed VOCs [variant of concern cases] for the purposes of public reporting and contact investigations," the province said in its Tuesday update.

There are another 56 cases involving variants in the south central zone, 43 in the southeast, 18 in Saskatoon, 10 in central east and one in the far northeast. 

There are 1,472 active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan. 

The seven-day average of daily new cases in Saskatchewan is 158, or 12.9 new cases per 100,000 people. 

Majority of new cases in Regina

The total number of cases COVID-19 in Saskatchewan since the start of the pandemic is now 31,991, with 30,100 recoveries and 419 deaths from the illness.

There were 152 new recoveries reported Tuesday.

Tuesday's new cases are in the following provincial zones:

• Far northwest: one.
• Far northeast: one.
• Far northcentral: one.
• Northwest: nine.
• North central: eight.
• Northeast: 12.
• Saskatoon: eight.
• Central east: eight.
• Regina: 91.
• Southwest: one.
• South central: three.
• Southeast: six.

The location of one new case remains pending. 

There are currently 152 people in the hospital due to COVID-19, 26 of whom are in the ICU.

To date, 636,484 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan, an increase of 3,209 from Monday. 

The province says 5,038 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered Monday. To date, a total of 149,209 doses have been administered in Saskatchewan.

The majority of doses administered — 2,948 — were in Regina, followed by 626 doses administered in Saskatoon, 620 doses in the southeast, 313 doses in the central west, 218 doses in central east, 158 doses in the southwest, 112 in the far northwest, 20 doses in north central, 12 doses in the northwest and 11 doses in the far northeast.