COVID-19 in Sask: Province reports record-high 78 new cases

Saskatchewan reported 78 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, the highest single-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic. 

There are now 574 cases considered active in the province.

The majority of the new cases are located in Saskatchewan's largest cities, with Saskatoon reporting 33 cases and Regina reporting 21.

The north central zone reported 11 cases; the far northwest, northeast and central east zones each reported three; the northwest reported two and the far northeast and southeast zones each reported one new case, the province's latest update says.

There are currently 21 people in Saskatchewan hospitalized with COVID-19. 

Seventeen people — eight in Saskatoon, eight in the north and one in Regina — are receiving in-patient care, while three Saskatoon patients and one Regina patient are in intensive care.

Fifteen more people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,070. 

The provincial update said community transmission is Saskatoon is "largely due to after-work socializing among young adults." It said 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19 are now linked to the Longbranch Bar in the city, and 22 cases are linked to Diva's Nightclub.

In Regina, the province said transmission "generally appears to be a result of close family contacts with known cases, rather than public social activities."

On Friday, 2,792 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan, bringing the total tests to date to 245,292.

The province reports a rate of 166,515 people tested per million population, well below the national rate of 252,120 people tested per million population.