REGINA — As Saskatchewan prepares to lift it's remaining public health orders next week, the most recent weekly COVID-19 integrated epidemiological report has been released.
The report this week looks at data from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19. The hospitalization data is a comparison from Feb. 16 to noon on Feb. 23.
Here are five things from this week's report you should know:
Public health orders lifting, emergency order remaining
The province’s remaining public health order is set to expire on Feb. 28, with no intentions from government officials to renew it moving forward. This means that wearing a face mask while indoors in public spaces will no longer be mandated provincially. Residents will be free to continue wearing a mask where they feel appropriate.
Officials have also confirmed that while the public health orders will be lifted on Monday, the province’s state of emergency order will be renewed on that date, in order to continue allowing health care workers to be deployed freely where needed at this time.
Boosters for 12+ now available at five months
Effective immediately, all residents aged 12 years and older may now get their booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at an interval of five months following their previous dose, to align with other age groups over 18.
Immunocompromised individuals may still seek their booster at a three month interval.
New cases, deaths, hospitalizations lower than week previous
A total of 1,407 new cases were reported during the week of Feb. 13-19, just under half of the previous week which saw 2,522 new cases. Omicron continues to be dominant in the province, with 100 per cent of variants of concern detected to be this strain.
Reported deaths were also lower during this week, with 37 individuals passing due to COVID-19 compared to 42 the week prior.
Hospitalizations are now at 372 individuals, a decrease from last week which recorded 410 patients. Of those in hospital, 27 are in ICU care.
Testing positivity rates continue to decline
Saskatchewan processed a total of 9,142 laboratory tests between Feb. 13-19, with a test positivity rate of 14.4 per cent, or one-fifth.
Test positivity during this week declined approximately one-third from the week prior, and tests performed also declined by approximately a quarter from the previous week’s data.
Vaccination rate reaches 80 per cent
The provincial vaccination rate for individuals over 5 years of age who are fully vaccinated has finally reached 80 per cent.
Among those 18 years and older, just over 50 per cent have received at least one booster vaccination.
