Sask. passes 60% mark for 1st doses, but far north lags behind

Just over 60 per cent of people 12 and over in Saskatchewan have now had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the rate for residents of the far north region is considerably lower.

As of Friday, the provincial government reported 61 per cent of those 12 and over had received a first dose, and 67,723 people have been fully vaccinated in Saskatchewan.

The province passed the 60 per cent pointnearly a month after reaching the 40 per cent mark.

According to provincial government data,current up to Wednesday, Regina leads provincial regions, with 62 per cent of the COVID-eligible population vaccinated at that point.

Regina received a larger number of doses in March to combat rising COVID-19 cases and the presence of coronavirus variants of concern in the city.

The south central region had a 59 per cent vaccination rate as of Wednesday,followed by the northeast, central east andSaskatoon, at58 per cent.

The story is different in the province's far northall three regions were below 45 per cent as of Wednesday. Theyhave also not increasedthe percentage of first doses given at the same rate as the southern parts of the province over the past month.

The percentage increases in first doses over 30 days in the far north zones were:

• Far north central: one per cent.
• Far northeast: six per cent.
• Far northwest: nine per cent.

Percentage increases in first doses over 30 days in the southern regions were:

• North central, northeast, northwest, central west, southeast: 16 per cent.
• Central east, southwest: 17 per cent.
• South central: 18 per cent.
• Saskatoon: 23 per cent.
• Regina: 25 per cent.

The number of residents eligible for vaccination increased earlier this month, when 90,987 youth aged 12 to 17 became eligible.

2nd doses

On Monday, Saskatchewan expanded its second-dose rollout to residents 85 and over and those vaccinated on or before Feb. 15.

When it comes to second doses, the far north central zone had 17 per cent of eligible residents fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. The other provincial zones wereall below 10 per cent.

Saskatoon had the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated people at three per cent as of Wednesday.

At that point,the provincial total of fully vaccinated people was six cent.