Saskatchewan: More than 5,000 vaccines given as five more deaths reported

Respiratory therapist Karen Schmid receives the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine from registered nurse Lianne Korte, becoming the first person in Saskatoon to receive the vaccine. Photo taken in Saskatoon, SK on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.

Health care workers across Saskatchewan delivered the highest number of COVID-19 vaccine doses in a single day to date as the province reported five more deaths and 162 new cases.

On Friday, 5,211 doses were put into the arms of residents across the province.

The shots were administered in the Saskatoon (254), Regina (286), far north west (33), north central (869), north west (918), central east (1,202), central west (403), south east (570) and south west (676) zones.

A number of data corrections were also made about the number of doses given on Wednesday and Thursday in the Regina, north west, north central, north east, central west and south west zones.

A total of 75,501 doses have now been given out in Saskatchewan.

The province is eager to soon be receiving shipments of a third vaccine — AstraZeneca — which was approved by Health Canada on Friday. That same day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference that Canada expects roughly 500,000 doses to arrive “within weeks” for distribution to the provinces.

Of those doses, Saskatchewan expects to receive about 15,000 in March, based on the province’s per capita share.

The province also reported five more deaths and 162 new cases on Saturday as its seven-day average remains fairly steady at 152, or 12.4 new cases per 100,000 population.

All of the people who died were over the age of 80, with three people in Regina, one in Saskatoon and one in the south east zone.

Another 119 people have recovered, bringing the number of cases considered active to 1,548.

There are currently 151 people in hospital, with 16 in intensive care.

The new cases are located in the Regina (52), Saskatoon (23), far north west (27), far north east (five), north west (13), north central (three), north east (nine), central east (18), south central (seven) and south east (one) zones.

Regina currently has the most active cases of any zone, with 488 after a recent uptick in cases . Saskatoon is second with 294 active cases.

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