COVID-19 Update: Five New Cases, 10 In Hospital, 20 More Recoveries

Released on August 12, 2020

There are five new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on August 12, bringing the total to 1,484 cases in Saskatchewan.  The new cases are located in the Regina (4) and North Central (1) zones.

Of the 1,484 reported cases, 150 are considered active.  A total of 1,314 people have recovered.

Ten people are in hospital.  Five people are receiving inpatient care; three in Saskatoon, one in Regina and one in the South Central region.  Five people are in intensive care; three in Saskatoon, one in the North Central region and one in the South West.

Of the 1,484 cases in the province:

• 212 cases are travellers;
• 747 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 415 have no known exposures; and
• 110 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:

• 64 cases are healthcare workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to healthcare in all instances.
• 352 cases are from the far north area (346 far north west, 0 far north central, 6 far north east)
• There are:
  • 337 cases are from the south area (160 south west, 166 south central, 11 south east);
  • 233 cases are from the north area (101 north west, 67 north central, 65 north east);
  • 242 cases are from the Saskatoon area;
  • 190 cases are from the central area (160 central west, 30 central east); and
  • 129 cases are from the Regina area.
• 239 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 467 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 471 are in the 40-59 age range; 253 are in the 60-79 age range; and 54 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• 20 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 115,004 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan.  As of August 10, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 83,532 people tested per million population.  The national rate was 120,826 people tested per million population.

Yesterday, 1,032 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan.

COVID-19 Testing

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is working to increase testing capacity to 3,000 tests per day by the middle of August and 4,000 tests per day by the beginning of September.  COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.  A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.  Contact your physician’s office if you are experiencing worsening symptoms. If you require urgent care, call 911.

Saskatchewan Health Authority Advisories

Over the past few days, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has issued several precautionary advisories for Regina and Saskatoon regarding the possibility of COVID-19 transmission at local businesses.  Residents can find more details on these advisories at https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/. 

Everyone should continue to take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Practice proper cough and sneezing etiquette (into a tissue or the bend of your elbow);
• Wash your hands often with soap and water; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Stay home if you are sick; and
• Practice physical distancing and wear a mask when in situations where recommended physical distancing will be difficult to maintain.

You should always be aware of who you have been in contact with over the past two weeks.  If you test positive for COVID-19, these are the people who will need to be contacted by public health.

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca. 

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

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For more information, contact:

Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: media@health.gov.sk.ca