February already one of pandemic's deadliest months in Sask.

Though it's not over yet, February has already been one of the deadliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan.

In the first 19 days of the month, the province reported 99 COVID-19-related deaths, 37 of which were reported during the week of Feb. 13 to 19, according to the government's latest weekly report of COVID-19 data, released Thursday.

Most of the latest deaths reported were among those 80 years or older, though one was in the 20-39 age group.

Almost all of the data the government provided is from last week, with hospitalizations being the exception. The province reported 372 hospitalizations as of Wednesday at noon.

Of those:

• 149 were admitted for COVID-19.
• 204 have been determined "incidental" cases, meaning they were not admitted for COVID-19 but then tested positive for the illness.
• 19 are undetermined.

There were 27 people in intensive care with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, down six from the last report.

While the provincial government has repeated it's time for people to "learn to live with COVID-19," the president of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses says the latest numbers indicate "we are nowhere near out of this pandemic."

"Despite what the leadership of this province and others might try to insinuate, COVID is very much here," Tracy Zambory said. 

Service disruptions

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is also reporting there are several temporary disruptions to health-care services in rural Saskatchewan, which it says are due to staff absenteeism or vacancies.

That includes disruption to anesthesia services at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre until March 1. Emergent surgeries and C-sections will not be possible until then, but surgical and obstetrical consultations are still available, the health authority says.

There may be recurring anesthesia service disruptions at the health centre, according to the SHA website. 

There is also disruption to emergency services at the Leader and District Healthcare Facility until March 2. 

In addition, lab and X-Ray services in Kamsack will be unavailable starting Friday and continuing throughout March.

Surgeries affected

Some surgeries have been affected because of the fifth wave of COVID-19 cases and staff absences. 

The health authority wasn't able to tell CBC how many surgeries have been delayed or postponed, but says delays have happened for many reasons, including surgeries being rescheduled because a patient has tested positive for COVID and staff being redeployed to support surge demands. 

Regina's Steve Turnquist is among those waiting for an operation. He doesn't know when his next surgery will be — and that's taken a heavy toll on him. 

He had a left hip replacement in December after waiting more than a year. He has been waiting several months to get a replacement for the right one.

"[It] has been debilitating for longer as it was overworking because my left one was so destroyed," Turnquist told Radio-Canada.

"I'm severely depressed and working with many professionals to help me stay alive."

Sask. renews emergency order

Also on Thursday, the Saskatchewan government said it was renewing its emergency order, while letting other public health measures expire at the end of February. 

Premier Scott Moe has decided to keep the order active until health-care staff don't need to be redeployed anymore, according to a government spokesperson.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili says the move reveals the government's priorities.

"They've been willing to have their response to the pandemic fall on the backs of health-care workers, allow people to get sick, allow the system to get overwhelmed," the Opposition leader said in an interview with CBC on Thursday.

"They're willing to continue to do that, but not to protect the people of the province."

Zambory agrees, saying nurses are "distressed."

"It's the leadership talking out of both sides of their mouth, because what this is telling us is the fact that we are in a disaster in this province," she said.

"The only way they can see their way [out] clearly is to make the workers stay in place."