COVID-19 in Sask.: Test positivity rate at 22.5% Wednesday

Saskatchewan is reporting 537 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, but this does not include anyone who tested positive on a rapid test and did not confirm with a PCR test,or is unknowingly carrying the virus. No new deaths were reported.

Eleven more people are in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Wednesday for a total of 106, 13 of whom are in ICU.

The provincial lab reported Tuesday that 95 per cent of all new cases are the Omicron variant.The province will stop genotyping cases, as it is assumed all new cases are Omicron.

The official number of known active cases Wednesday is4,446.

Saskatchewan's daily test positivity rate is at 22.5 per cent.

The province also reported 1,895 new vaccinations, with 623 being first doses.

Schools continue to be a hot topic, as Saskatchewan remains the only province sending kids back to school as planned.

Education Minister Dustin Duncan said at a news conference Wednesday that there will be an increase of COVID-19 cases in schools and disruptions in individual classes, but that it's important to keep schools open.

"We know that in-class learning is critically important to students' overall mental and physical health and development," Duncan said.

He said these ways includecontinued masking, increased sanitation, cohorting, and encouraging all students and staff who are sick to stay home.