The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced 8 new cases of COVID-19 on March 31. The single digit count for the last 24 hours is somewhat encouraging given the jumps in numbers tracked over the last few days. The provincial count is now at 184 with 7 new reported recoveries for a total of 21.

Three hospitalized cases are receiving care in Saskatoon while one intensive care unit patient remains in Regina. Additional details for March 31 include:

Nine cases are the result of local transmission, while the rest are travel-related or cluster-related due to exposure at mass gatherings.Ninety of the cases are from the Saskatoon area, 39 from Regina, 37 from the north, nine from the central region, six from the south and three from the far north.Fifty-five per cent of the cases are males and 45 per cent are females.Six cases are 19 years of age and under; 83 are in the 20-44 age range; 64 are in the 45-64 range; and 31 are in the 65-plus range.There have been two deaths related to COVID-19 reported to date.

The daily release again notes the rigour of Saskatchewan’s testing with the second highest per capita rate in the country. A total of 10,216 tests have been performed utilizing a network of 40 test sites in the province.

The release also cautions Saskatchewan residents against becoming complacent in light of promising case numbers. People are reminded to stay home whenever possible and to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres between themselves and others. 

Again, travellers returning from international destinations, including the United States, are reminded of the mandatory 14-day self isolation order.