Four more deaths are being reported in Saskatchewan on Friday from people who tested positive for COVID-19.
Three of the residents who passed away were in the 80+ age group and were from the Regina, South East and North Central zones of the province. One resident was from the South Central zone was in the 70-79 age range.
329 new COVID-19 cases are being added to Saskatchewan’s count along with 208 recoveries. Active cases are up to 3,263.
The new cases are located in the Far North West (8), Far North East (4), North West (23), North Central (21), North East (1), Saskatoon (158), Central West (6), Central East (11), Regina (61), South West (16), South Central (1) and South East (14) zones. Five new cases have pending residence information.
The seven-day average of daily new cases is 268 with 22.1 new cases per 100,000 population.
111 people are in hospital. 95 people are receiving inpatient care with one in the Far North West, eight in the North West, 12 in North Central, one in North East, 32 in Saskatoon, two in Central East, 16 in Regina, two in South West, one in South Central and 20 in the South East zone.
16 patients are in intensive care with one in North West, 11 in Saskatoon, one in South West and three in Regina.
The province also announced on Friday that new rapid point of care testing units (Abbott ID Now) with results in 15 minutes are being rolled out in a pilot program for hospitals in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw. Mobile testing locations will be able to quickly determine the status of an asymptomatic individual.
This testing option will assist with hospital admissions and discharges to a long-term-care facility.
A rapid antigen test (Abbot Panbio) pilot project is also being rolled out to participating long-term care, personal care homes and congregate living settings. Results are available in 15 minutes and used for rapid recurrent asymptomatic screening of staff and residents.
All rapid positive tests will be presumed positive and will need to be confirmed by a laboratory test for now.
