COVID-19 in Sask.: Hospitalizations down, lowest daily case number since August

Saskatchewan isreporting231 new COVID-19 cases on Saturdaythe lowest number of daily new cases since Aug.30, according to the province's dashboard.

There were 3,181 new tests reported. By comparison,there were only 2,123 reported on Aug. 30.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases dropped by 26, to 286.The total number of active cases as of Saturday was3,040.

The Saskatoon region saw the highest number of new cases, with 48. Regina recorded 43, while the southeast recorded 24. The north central region reported 22 and the central east region reported 20.

Cases were also reported in the far northwest (14), far northeast (six), northwest (17), northeast (11),central west (one), southwest (nine) and south central (three)zones. Residence information is pending for 13 other cases.

The province also reported fivemore people have died from COVID-19 threein the northwest zone,oneinthe far northwestand one in the north central zone.

There have now been 817 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations dropped by 20 in the past 24 hours. There are now 288 people in hospital, including 77 are in ICU down from 80 on Friday.

As of the end of the day Friday, seven Saskatchewan patients had been transferred to Ontario ICUs. One patient is expected to be transferred by the end of Saturday.

The news comes as the federal government announced thatCanadian Armed Forces members will be deployed to Saskatchewan to assist with the escalating COVID-19 situation.

The Armed Forceswill be providing six critical care nursing officers to help in the province's ICUs. An Armed Forces spokesperson could not say Saturday specificallywhere these officers will be sent.