The Saskatchewan Health Authority revealed some stark numbers during their weekly town hall meeting on Thursday, September 23 regarding case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths within the province.

CASES

According to the SHA, case numbers are on the rise in rural Saskatchewan, North Battleford, and Regina. While those numbers may be climbing, evidence suggests that the spread in Saskatoon and Prince Albert are decelerating.

Cases in those aged 0-11 are accelerating however; Over the last 14 days, 1 in 5 cases have been in residents who were under the age of 12. 1-2% will require hospitalization, and that number will continue to climb as case counts rise.

Over the last week, Saskatchewan's case count rate is sitting at 277 per 100,000, which is the highest in Canada. The national average is currently 79 per 100,000.

Saskatchewan also continues to have the lowest vaccination rate in the province, with just under 80% of the population receiving at least one dose, and just over 70% receiving both.

Slide courtesy of the Saskatchewan Health Authority

 

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Saskatchewan's hospitalization rate is the second highest in Canada, sitting at just under 20 per 100,000. Only Alberta is higher.

An average of 25.3 patients have been admitted into non-ICU care per-day in the province over the last week.

The SHA also provided the following current numbers regarding hospitalizations:

  • 42 - Peak # of patients being treated with High Flow Oxygen in a non-ICU bed.
  • 5 - Peak # of ICUs on bypass.
  • 60 - Peak COVID-19 ICU patients. Equivalent to almost entire baseline ICU capacity of all ICU beds in Regina and Saskatoon.
  • 280 - Peak COVID-19 patients receiving care in acute care facilities.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority worries that at the current rate of growth, it's not 'if' they will exceed acute care ICU capacity, but 'when'.

DEATHS

Saskatchewan is also sitting at the second highest death rate in the country, with a rate of 3 per 100,000 over the last 14 days. The national average is 1.1 per 100,000.

In the month of September, 66 deaths in relation to COVID-19 were reported. That is an 11% increase compared to the previous 30 day stretch.

As of Friday, September 24, there were 4,734 active COVID-19 cases in the province. The highest since December 7th when 4,763 were considered active. It was only a few days after that number was reached when the province went into another lockdown.