COVID-19 in Sask.: 100 deaths in the last month

Saskatchewan's surge in COVID-19 cases has now led to100 deaths from the illness in the past month.

On Saturday, the province reported eight more deaths from COVID-19.

That brings the total provincial death toll from the pandemic to 708 up from 608 on Sept. 2.

Saskatchewan also reported 480 more cases of COVID-19 on Saturdayon itsonline COVID-19 dashboard.

Almost a third of the new cases (32.3per cent) arein the20 to 39 age group, the update said.

The province is now reporting 4,824 active COVID-19 cases, almost double the number of active casesthis time last month.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is now 478, or 39.6 new cases per 100,000 people.

Saskatchewan reported 306 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Saturday, including 67 in intensive care.

Nearly three-quarters of those hospitalized with the illness as of Saturday were not fully vaccinated, the province's update says.

The new cases reported Saturday are located in the following zones:

• Far northwest: 17.
• Far northeast: seven.
• Northwest: 65.
• North central: 22.
• Northeast: 15.
• Saskatoon: 107.
• Central west: seven.
• Central east: 27.
• Regina: 72.
• Southwest: 22.
• South central: 47.
• Southeast: 29.

Location information was pending for 43 more cases.

There were 3,237 moreCOVID-19 testsperformed in Saskatchewan on Friday.

As well, 4,003 more COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, more than half of which 2,040 were first doses, the dashboard's Saturday update said.

Saskatchewan's new proof of vaccination policy, which requires full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to access a range of activities and events, came into effect on Friday.