May 23 COVID-19 update: One death, 656,388 vaccines, 116 new cases, 222 recoveries

Vaccines Reported

An additional 11,004 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 656,388.  

The 11,004 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far North West, 122; Far North Central, 9; Far North East, 37; North West, 350; North Central, 751; North East, 295; Saskatoon, 3,507; Central West, 184; Central East, 1,040; Regina, 2,793; South West, 352; South Central, 576; and South East, 821. There were 167 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Seventy-six per cent of those over the age of 40 have received their first dose. Sixty-nine per cent of those 30+ have received their first dose. Sixty-three per cent of those 18+ have received their first dose.

All vaccine administration details for the province, including first and second doses, can be found at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness.  As the source database for vaccine information, Panorama is subject to continuous data updates which may result in revised counts, day over day.

Second Dose Booking Available for Priority Populations

Second dose vaccinations are underway for anyone who is 85 and older or who received their first dose before February 15.  At 8 a.m. Monday, May 24 the age eligibility for second doses opens to anyone aged 80 and older or who received their first dose on or before March 1. Individuals diagnosed with or being treated for cancer and those who have received solid organ transplants will receive a letter of eligibility in the mail that will allow them priority access to a second dose.

Eligibility to book for second doses is based on age or date of first dose.  Residents who meet at least one of these criteria will be eligible for their second dose.  The following table is a tentative guideline; timelines may change due to vaccine availability.  

Astra Zeneca is not included in this table as we await advice on the use of Astra Zeneca for timing of second doses.

Second dose vaccination appointments can be booked through the Saskatchewan Health Authority online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829).

The current list of pharmacies offering vaccinations is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies.

For street addresses and hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

Please do not call until you are eligible to book your vaccination appointment.  If you do not know the date of your first dose or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, 1-833-SaskVax can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization.  Additional stops should be avoided if possible when travelling to another community for an appointment.  More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

During your second dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe.  The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised to ensure that you are receiving the same vaccine brand for your second dose.

At this time, public health is planning to offer your second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to match the brand of your first dose.  National reviews of the safety and efficacy of interchanging the second dose brand are on-going and the provincial policy on maintaining the same brand for the second dose may be updated following this review.

Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 116 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on May 23, bringing the provincial total to 45,605 cases.  One case deemed to be an out-of-province resident has been removed from the Regina zone.

One new death is reported today in the 80+ age group from the South East zone.

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far North West, 7; Far North East, 1; North West, 7; North Central, 11; Saskatoon, 41; Central West, 2; Central East, 18; Regina, 17; South West, 5; South Central, 1; and South East, 5.  One case is pending residence information. One previously reported case with pending residence has been added to the North Central zone.

Recoveries total 43,416 and 1,662 cases are considered active.

There are 124 people in hospital.  Ninety-seven people are receiving inpatient care: North West, 8; North Central, 4; Saskatoon, 35; Central East, 4; Regina, 41; South Central, 2; and South East, 3.  Twenty-seven people are in intensive care: North Central, 2; Saskatoon, 11; Central East, 1; and Regina, 13.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 152 (12.4 new cases per 100,000).  A chart comparing today's average to data collected over the past few months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 2,507 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on May 22, 2021.

To date, 842,964 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan.  As of May 20, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan's per capita rate was 705,962 tests performed per million population.  The national rate was 894,062.

As of May 22, 10,049 variants of concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far North West, 231; Far North East, 22; North West, 544; North Central, 371; North East, 57; Saskatoon, 1,516; Central West, 106; Central East, 546; Regina, 4,517; South West, 344; South Central, 707; and South East, 1,023.  There are 65 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are no new lineage results reported today.  Of the 5,431 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 5,273 are B.1.1.1.7 (UK), 124 are P.1 (Brazilian), 24 are B.1.617 (Indian) and 10 are B.1.351 (SA).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, depending on testing for that case.  Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Re-Open Saskatchewan Roadmap

Re-opening the province is based on the rapid expansion and delivery of larger volumes of COVID-19 vaccine, with the expectation that all residents in Saskatchewan over the age of 12 will have an opportunity to receive their first dose of vaccine by the end of May 2021.  It will occur in three steps, with approximately three weeks between each step.

The ability to quickly and efficiently Re-Open Saskatchewan will rely on three fundamental principles:

Everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated should be immunized as soon as possible - with the first available vaccine.

The province receives the supply of vaccines it is expecting in a timely manner.

Be patient and follow the public health orders in place.

Find the details of the plan at Saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Don't Let COVID-19 Hitch a Ride Home with You

We recognize that people within and outside the province may travel this long weekend, especially if they have a recreational property in Saskatchewan. This is not prohibited under Public Health Orders. However, we encourage you to reduce your risk by sticking close to your cabin or campsite and minimizing travel; coordinating errands to reduce stops; keep to your household bubble; visit outdoors as it's safer; and continue to follow Public Health Orders including limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings. In addition, maintain physical distancing, wear a mask and practice good hand hygiene.

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to [email protected].

Know your risk.  Keep yourself and others safe: www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/about-covid-19/know-your-risk.