UK COVID Variant Found in Sask as 8 Deaths, 223 New Cases Announced

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UK COVID Variant Found in Sask as 8 Deaths, 223 New Cases Announced

Published: Tuesday, 02 February 2021 14:48 Written by Discover Moose Jaw Staff





Of the 38 cases located in the South-Central zone, 25 are in the sub-region 'South-Central 2', which is comprised of Moose Jaw and the surrounding area

Eight more residents who had tested positive for COVID-19 have died, as 223 new cases were announced, and 266 recoveries.
One reported death was in the 40-49 age group in the northwest, one was in the 50-59 in the Regina zone, two were in the 60-69 age group from the northwest and north-central zones, two were in the 70-79 age group in Saskatoon and the southeast, and two were in the 80 plus age group from the Saskatoon and Southeast regions.
Of the new cases, 65 are in Regina, 38 are in Saskatoon, 28 are in the north-central zone, 18 in the northwest, 14 in the far northwest, eight in the far north-central zone, eight in the far northeast, eight in the southeast, seven in the northeast, seven in the south-central zone, six in the central west, and three in the central-east. 13 of the new cases are pending resident information.
2,320 cases are considered active, and no hospitalization data was provided.
The government of Saskatchewan is also reporting that 2 residents in the Regina zone have tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant. One of the individuals had recently travelled to the UK, and the other is a close contact with the traveller.
Both have recovered and are no longer infectious, and Public Health's investigation indicates that all contacts of the 2 individuals have been identified and there is no indication of further transmission.
These individuals were tested in mid-January. While the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory is testing travellers for variants of concern, those tests must be genome-sequenced at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. This process can take one to two weeks.
Non-essential travel is not recommended at this time. The best protection against all COVID-19 variants remains the same as protection against COVID-19: stay home, physically distance, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask and get tested if you are experiencing even mild symptoms.
The Government of Saskatchewan is considering the impact of variants on COVID-19 planning including any required increase to public health measures and surge capacity planning.