Sask. reports 33rd COVID-19 death, 153 new cases

FILE - This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, green, cultured in the lab. (NIAID-RML via AP)

REGINA — Saskatchewan reported its 33rd COVID-19 related death on Friday, in addition to 153 new cases.

The resident who died was in their 80s and lived in the Saskatoon region.

There are 2,145 cases active as of Friday, with 5,804 reported to date.

There were 73 new recoveries reported on Friday for a total of 3,626 to date.

Eighty-five people are in hospital, 66 are receiving inpatient care and 19 are in intensive care.

There are three new cases in the far northwest, 16 in the far north central, four in the far northwest, 11 in the northwest, 14 in the north central zone, one in the northeast, 42 in Saskatoon, two in the central west, four in the central east, 14 in Regina, 14 in the southwest, four in the south central zone, 20 in the southeast and four cases are pending location details.

The province tested 2,826 people on Thursday.

SASK. EXPECTS TO RECEIVE 180K VACCINE DOSES IN FIRST BATCH

The province said it expects to receive approximately 180,000 doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer once approved in Canada.

Speaking on Thursday, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health Paul Merriman said the federal government has secured an initial batch of six million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the first quarter of 2021.

He said four million doses are expected from Pfizer and two million are expected from Moderna.

Pfizer along with its German partner, BioNTech, offered preliminary data to suggest its vaccine appears 95 per cent effective.

Officials in both Alberta and Ontario shared on Wednesday specific numbers about how many vaccine doses those provinces expect to receive.

However, federal officials said there is uncertainty about the manufacturing and distribution of a vaccine and it is too early to lock in those specific details.

“The next few weeks will be very important, as it is pretty clear now that this pandemic will only end when we have a widespread distribution of a safe and effective vaccine,” he said.

Merriman said Saskatchewan health officials are currently developing a distribution plan. He added those at higher risk would be given priority.

With files from CTVNews.ca