There will be 5,850 fewer doses of Pfizer vaccine shipped to Saskatchewan this week because of a damaged thermal shipper but the remaining 30,420 doses from this shipment are still expected in the coming days. The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are reviewing distribution plans to minimize any impact.

In Regina, the drive-through vaccination clinic eligibility has expanded by a year and is now available to anyone 58 and over. There are 178 new cases of COVID-19 in the province for a total of 31,637 cases to date. A person in the 80 and over age group from the Regina zone has died, bringing the total number of deaths related to this virus to 418. Of the new cases, 59 per cent are from Regina with 105.

The number of confirmed variants of concern cases remains at 156 and the Regina zone has 141 of them, but there are 35 new presumptive cases, for a total now of 625. Of those, 527 are in Regina, 40 in South Central, 31 in the South East, 18 in Saskatoon, eight in Central East and one in the Far North East.

Vaccines Reported

An additional 5,999 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 139,827.

The 5,999 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered in the following regions: Far North East (42), North West (48), North East (22), Saskatoon (1,591), Central East (506), Regina (3,118), South Central (550) and South East (122). Of the doses administered March 20, 1,879 were delivered at the Regina drive thru clinic.

For a listing of first and second doses in Saskatchewan administered by geographic zone, visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-update.

Residents 67 years and older are currently eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination online or by phone. Additional information on eligibility and how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-booking.

Due to a damaged thermal shipper, Saskatchewan will receive 5,850 fewer doses of the Pfizer vaccine than originally expected this week. The remaining 30,420 doses in this shipment are still expected in the coming days. The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are reviewing distribution plans to minimize any impact.

Drive-thru Vaccination Clinic in Regina Available to all Residents Age 59 and Over

The drive-thru immunization clinic in Regina is now available to all residents over the age of 59. Residents who attend the drive-thru clinic in Regina and receive their immunization, and had previously booked an appointment, are asked to cancel their appointment online or by calling 1-833-SASKVAX (1-833-727-5829) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The drive-thru clinic is located on the grounds of the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (Lewvan Drive and 11th Avenue) and is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis for the eligible age group. You cannot pre-book an appointment for the drive-thru clinic.

It is anticipated that this age range will continue to expand rapidly, and eligible residents are asked to check the website regularly for the latest: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 178 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on March 21, bringing the provincial total to 31,637 cases.

One Saskatchewan resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has died. This death was reported in the 80+ age group from the Regina zone.

The new cases are located in the Far North West (1), Far North East (1), North West (8), North Central (15), North East (7), Saskatoon (19), Central West (1), Central East (6), Regina (105), South Central (3) and South East (10) zones. Two (2) new cases are pending residence information.

There are a total of 29,772 recoveries and 1,447 cases are considered active.

One hundred thirty-nine (139) people are in hospital. One hundred and ten (110) people are receiving inpatient care: Far North West (3), Far North East (1), North West (6), North Central (5), Saskatoon (41), Central East (6), Regina (40), South West (1), South Central (4) and South East (3). Twenty-nine (29) people are in intensive care: Saskatoon (10), Central East (2), Regina (16) and South Central (1).

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 146 (11.9 new cases per 100,000). A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Please visit https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 2,709 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on March 20, 2021.

To date, 630,461 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of March 19, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 528,774 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 697,063 tests performed per million population.

As of March 21, there are no new confirmed variants of concern (VOC) cases to report. There are 156 confirmed variants of concern cases in Saskatchewan: 149 B1.1.1.7 (UK) and seven B1.351 (SA). The Regina zone accounts for 141 (or 90 per cent) of the confirmed VOC cases reported in Saskatchewan.

In addition to the confirmed cases, there are currently 625 presumptive VOC cases reported in the Far North East (1), Saskatoon (18), Central East (8), Regina (527), South Central (40) and South East (31) zones.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among healthcare workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, the per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan website. Please visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/cases-and-risk-of-covid-19-in-saskatchewan.

Act to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission in Regina

There is an elevated risk of COVID-19 in Regina due to community transmission of variants of concern.

It is recommended that Regina and area residents not increase their household bubbles beyond their current household.

While worship services throughout the province have expanded to 30 per cent of capacity or 150 people, whichever is the lesser number, places of worship in Regina and adjacent communities will remain at the current capacity level which is a maximum of 30 individuals, with required physical distancing and masking guidelines. This will remain in effect until April 5, 2021 and will be evaluated at that time.

The adjacent communities include: Belle Plaine, Pense, Grand Coulee, Lumsden Beach, Regina Beach, Craven, Lumsden, Edenwold, Pilot Butte, White City, Balgonie, Kronau, Davin, Gray, Riceton, RM of Lajord, RM of Edenwold, RM of Sherwood, RM of Pense, and RM of Lumsden.

All residents of Regina, those who work in Regina and area and those who are planning travel to the region, are asked to abide by all best personal protective measures at this time to avoid further restrictions. Minimize the risk in the city and throughout the region.

Wear your mask in all public places including all workplaces
Wash non-medical masks daily
Maintain physical distancing
Wash your hands frequently
Reduce activities outside of your home. Order take-out or curbside pick-up. If you are able to work from home, work from home at this time.
Avoid all unnecessary travel to and from Regina
If you have any symptoms, stay home and arrange for a COVID-19 test. If anyone in your home has symptoms, the entire household should remain home until the test results are known. Testing information is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/testing-information.