115 new COVID-19 cases in Sask.; 120 new presumptive variant cases

COVID-19 variant continues to spread WATCH: According to an epidemiology expert, Saskatchewan’s window to the B.1.1.7 variant under control is closing. Marc Smith explains.

REGINA — There are 115 new COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, the province reported on Thursday. There were 96 new recoveries and one additional death.

The person who died was over 80, from the Saskatoon area.

VARIANTS OF CONCERN (VoC)

Saskatchewan reported no confirmed cases of VoCs on Thursday, however there are 120 new presumptive VoC cases on Thursday. There are now 433 presumptive positive cases of VoCs in Saskatchewan. Regina is the location of 90 per cent of the province’s VoC cases.

Presumptive cases of VoCs are located in in the Far Northeast (one), Saskatoon (12), Central East (6), Regina (368), South Central (27) and Southeast (19) zones.

COVID-19 CASES

New COVID-19 cases reported Thursday are located in the Far Northwest (one), Northwest (four), North Central (three), Northeast (three), Saskatoon (15), Central West (two), Central East (five), Regina (65), Southwest (three), South Central (three) and Southeast (eight) zones. Three new cases are pending location details.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 128, or 10.4 new cases per 100,000 people.

There are 1,282 active COVID-19 cases in the province.

There are 136 people in hospital including 27 people in intensive care.

SASK. MOVES TO PHASE 2 OF VACCINE DELIVERY

Saskatchewan is moving to Phase 2 of its COVID-19 immunization plan.

The province says residents above the age of 67 and those considered “clinically extremely vulnerable” can book their vaccine appointment starting at 12 p.m. Thursday.

Appointments can be booked online or over the phone by called 1-833-Sask-Vax (727-5829).

Regina's drive-thru AstraZeneca clinic is accepting those 60 to 64, as well as 67, 68 and 69 year-olds.

A new radio channel will broadcast information for those seeking vaccines or COVID-19 tests at Regina's Evraz Place.

SASK. QUIET ON COVID-19 VARIANTS IN SASK. SCHOOLS

As COVID-19 variants continue to spread in Saskatchewan, it remains unclear exactly how many confirmed and presumptive variant cases have been detected in Saskatchewan schools.

CTV News reached out to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Ministry of Health to ask how many confirmed and presumptive variant cases have been identified in schools.

“It is up to local medical health officers to have discussions with schools regarding the nature of cases in their community,” wrote the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health Media Desk. “In Regina, increasing community transmission of COVID-19 Variants of Concern has already been publicly reported.”