VANGHEL, Donald (Don)

July 31, 1948 – July 12, 2021

We are heartbroken to announce the loss of Don. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side.

He was married to the love of his life, Dot (Hudson), for 52 years. He was a devoted Father to his kids Clint (Kara) and Chantel (Jamie Connolly) and an amazing Grandfather to Hunter, Addisyn, Anika, Bryttin, and Korven.

His grandkids were his whole world, his pride and joy and they had him wrapped around their fingers. Grandpa Don would do anything for them and was always eager to spoil them.

Don knew everyone and loved to visit. It was hard to go anywhere without him running into someone he knew and needing to catch up with old friends or acquaintances (or make new ones). Everyone that met him loved him.

He was always willing to help others or lend a hand… as long as he could be the boss! He loved to be the boss!

He was a role model and mentor to many. He loved to shape little minds, much to the dismay of many parents. His nephews and nieces always looked up to him, he was the fun Uncle.

He was a father figure to many. He was an “adopted” Dad/Grandpa to many kids over the years.

Don was always joking around, laughing and telling stories. He loved to be surrounded by family and friends. He loved spending his spare time at the cabin or doing anything outdoors. He loved fishing,
hunting, quadding, snowmobiling and golfing. He could not sit still; he was always busy doing something (unless it was to sneak in a quick nap).

He was always up for a holiday whether it was Vegas, Disney or on a beach somewhere hot.

Don was a tough, dedicated, hardworking man. He grew up on a farm in Davidson and moved to Saskatoon in 1967 to become a Journeyman Carpenter. He worked in construction for a few years
before starting his own company, ATEL Concrete in 1980 with his brother Barry. Don was a perfectionist and would not leave a job half done. He had an amazing memory and could remember every detail of every job they ever did. He also farmed full time until 1999.

ATEL was his whole life but his heart was always on the farm and riding in a tractor.

Don loved life, family and friends. There are many stories and loving memories of him over the years.

We will forever treasure the time we had with him.

There will be a private family interment entrusted to Hillcrest Funeral Home.

Condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.hillcrestmemorial.ca

A big thank you to Dr. Shaw and his team at RUH.

Donations can be made in honour of Don’s memory to RUH Foundation’s Mission Possible: Operation New O.R. (103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon SK S7N 0W8).

Scott, GENEVIEVE (nee Hammer)

Mrs. Genevieve Scott (Hammerer) beloved wife of John (Jack) passed away peacefully on July 3, 2021 at the Davidson Health Center at the age of 85.

Jenny was born in Humboldt on July 11, 1935 to parents Eugene and Emma Hammerer. She was raised on a farm north/west of Carmel, along with her 2 brothers: Donald and Eugene Jr. and sister Deanna.

After she finished school, she applied for a job at the Davidson Hotel and off she moved to Davidson.

Jenny spent some time in BC with a friend picking strawberries. She met Jack while working in Davidson and they married on April 25, 1958.

Jenny was a fulltime homemaker and together they raised 3 children: Wade, Tammy and Robert. Unfortunately, Robert passed away in 1972.

Jenny was an active community member. She belonged to the Kinettes, was a leader in the 4-H Club and was very involved in the Davidson Agriculture Society. Her love was horticulture.

In 1977, Jenny was hired as a page at the Davidson Public Library. She worked with Myrtle Matchett until Myrtle passed away in 1978. Jenny then took on the role as head librarian and worked with Janet
Lloyd. Jenny loved working in the library. She was a passionate reader and loved visiting with all the patrons. Jenny and Janet were very dedicated to their work at the library, decorating it up for every season.

Jenny loved crafting. She was noted for all the dough dollies in Davidson and area. She also started oil painting. She painted on everything imaginable from canvas to eggs to rocks. Soon woodcarving caught her attention. Nothing stopped Jenny from
trying something new. Her birds and animal carvings won a couple awards at some of the shows in Saskatoon. She even convinced her friend Eileen McRae to join her in the basement to carve. You could always find the two of them carving, playing cards, painting their carving or just having coffee.

While doing all her crafts, she was also busy with her beautiful yard full of colourful flowers and a bountiful garden. Nothing stopped her, not even as her mobility got worse.

Her love was visiting and sharing a coffee with all her close friends. There was always time for a visit. She looked forward to the holidays when the whole family would appear. We all squeezed in the house
some place as the family grew and grandchildren and great grandchildren appeared.

Jenny is predeceased by her parents: Eugene and Emma Hammerer; son Robert; brother Eugene Jr.; grandson Aaron; sisters-in-law Elsie Scott, Margaret McPherson, and Elaine Scott; brothers-in-law: Bernie Faucon, Gordon Scott and Lloyd McPherson.

She leaves to cherish her memory: her husband John (Jack). Son Wade (Susan) and their children Monica (Farren) and John (Yvette) and great grandson Owen. Daughter Tammy (Wesley) and their children: Deidre (Tyson), Michael and Marisha and great grandchildren :Kyla, Keastyn and Brynnlee.

She is survived by her brother: Donald (Lorayne) Hammerer; sister: Deanna Faucon; brother-in-law: Dale Scott; and many nieces and nephews.

We will miss her beautiful smile and wonderful laugh.

The family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the staff at the Davidson Health Center for their loving and compassionate care during mom’s last year.

Hanson’s Funeral Service of Davidson, SK in care of arrangements.

COVID-19 Update For June 28: 1,127,683 Vaccines Administered, 17 New Cases, 98 Recoveries, No New Deaths

Vaccines Reported

An additional 12,395 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 1,127,683.

The additional 12,395 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far North West, 88; Far North East, 120; North West, 727; North Central, 539; North East, 188; Saskatoon, 5,071; Central West, 124; Central East, 648; Regina, 3,353; South West, 255; South Central, 714; and South East, 242.  There were 326 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Eighty per cent of those over the age of 40+ have received their first dose. Seventy-five per cent of those 30+ have received their first dose.  Seventy one per cent of those 18+ have received their first dose, while seventy per cent of those 12+ have also received their first dose. 

All vaccine administration details for the province, including first and second doses, can be found at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness.

All Residents 12+ Eligible for Second Doses

All Saskatchewan residents 12 years and older who have received their first dose of vaccine are now be eligible to receive their second dose following a 28-day interval.  With the Delta variant circulating in Saskatchewan, it remains recommended that all residents receive second dose vaccinations as soon as you are eligible. 

Remember that while one dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against transmission, two doses are required for optimal protection.  Please receive your second dose as soon as you are eligible and maintain all public health measures until at least two weeks after your second dose.

As advised by National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on June 17, Pfizer and Moderna (mRNA) vaccines are interchangeable for second doses.  Residents who received Pfizer or Moderna as their first dose should take whichever of those two vaccines is available to them when they become eligible for their second dose.  If you received AstraZeneca as a first dose, you may also receive either Pfizer or Moderna for a second dose.  Both mRNA vaccines have been approved by Health Canada as safe and effective and allow residents to become fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Vaccination appointments can be booked through the Saskatchewan Health Authority online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829).  As the SHA is encouraging first dose vaccinations, please review clinic information carefully to ensure you are selecting the right clinic for you. 

For street addresses and hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

A map of participating pharmacies across the province is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies.  This online tool includes links to pharmacy booking websites and provides details on the vaccine brand being offered at each location.

If you do not know the date of your first dose or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, 1-833-SaskVax can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization.  More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

During your second-dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe.  The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised.  Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 17 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on June 28, bringing the provincial total to 48,771 cases.  Declining case numbers are a significant indicator that vaccination efforts are having an impact in the province.  In order to further reduce COVID-19 transmission now and through the remainder of 2021, residents are still encouraged to get their first and second doses of the vaccine.

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far North West, 2; Far North East, 1; North West, 1; North Central, 1; Saskatoon, 3; Central East, 1; Regina, 4; and South East, 3.  One new case is pending residence information.  Three cases pending residence have been assigned to the Far North East, 1; and North West, 2, zones.

No new deaths were reported today. 

Recoveries total 47,737 and 468 cases are considered active.

There are 76 people in hospital. Sixty-three are receiving inpatient care: North West, 6; North Central, 9; Saskatoon, 28; Central West, 1; Central East, 1; Regina, 16; and South Central, 2.  Thirteen are in intensive care: North West, 2; North Central, 3; Saskatoon, 6; and Regina, 2. 

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 43 (3.5 per 100,000).  A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 976 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on June 27, 2021.

To date, 913,689 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan.  As of June 26 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 770,179 tests performed per million population.  The national rate was 961,266.

As of June 27, 12,121 Variants of Concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far North West, 311; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 85; North West, 808; North Central, 628; North East, 79; Saskatoon, 2,106; Central West, 146; Central East, 650; Regina, 4,796; South West, 399; South Central, 887; and South East, 1,144.  There are 81 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are no new lineage results reported for Variants of Concern today.  Of the 7,119 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 6,615 are Alpha (B.1.1.7), 316 are Gamma (P.1), 178 are Delta (B.1.617.2) and 10 are Beta (B.1.351).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, depending on testing for that case.  Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Limit COVID Transmission in your Community – Get Tested 

Getting tested assists the monitoring of active cases in the province, particularly with variants of concern in Saskatchewan.   Even if experiencing mild symptoms, stay home and seek a COVID-19 test.  Even if you have been recently vaccinated, it can take up to three weeks for your immune system to respond from a first dose and two weeks after a second dose.  Vaccines are not a cure preventing all possible transmission and you remain at risk of contracting COVID-19 during that time. 

COVID-19 testing is available to all residents.  You can still receive a referral for COVID-19 testing through HealthLine 811 or a health care provider, and drive-thru testing sites are available without a referral seven days a week in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Prince Albert.  Information on symptoms to watch for and how to get tested is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-testing.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – Step Two Now Underway

Saskatchewan has now entered Step Two of re-opening, with in-person gathering limits increasing across a number of sectors and for private gatherings.  More information on the changes within Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap are available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Guidance for individual sectors has been updated and is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – All Public Health Measures to Be Lifted July 11

With more than 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 having received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the full implementation of Step 3 of the Re-Opening Roadmap will occur on Sunday, July 11.

That means that as of Sunday, July 11, all public health orders will be removed.  This includes the removal of the province-wide mandatory masking order, and the removal of limits on events and gathering sizes. 

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Know your risk.  Keep yourself and others safe: www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-know-your-risk.

COVID-19 Update for June 27: 1,115,288 Vaccines Administered, 48 New Cases, 96 Recoveries, No New Deaths

Vaccines Reported

An additional 22,308 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 1,115,288.

The additional 22,308 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far North West, 268; Far North Central, 10; Far North East, 270; North West, 1,365; North Central, 1,324; North East, 849; Saskatoon, 6,743; Central West, 511; Central East, 2,141; Regina, 4,761; South West, 733; South Central, 1,291; and South East, 1,458. There were 584 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Eighty per cent of those over the age of 40+ have received their first dose. Seventy-five per cent of those 30+ have received their first dose. Seventy one per cent of those 18+ have received their first dose, while seventy per cent of those 12+ have also received their first dose. 

Note: Age is calculated on the date of the most recent dose.  Someone age 69 at their first dose and 70 at their second will now be counted in the 70-79 group for both doses, resulting in a decrease in the 60-69 first dose number. 

All vaccine administration details for the province, including first and second doses, can be found at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness.

All Residents 12+ Eligible for Second Doses

All Saskatchewan residents 12 years and older who have received their first dose of vaccine are now be eligible to receive their second dose following a 28-day interval.

With the Delta variant circulating in Saskatchewan, it remains recommended that all residents receive second dose vaccinations as soon as you are eligible. 

Remember that while one dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against transmission, two doses are required for optimal protection.  Please receive your second dose as soon as you are eligible and maintain all public health measures until at least two weeks after your second dose.

As advised by National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on June 17, Pfizer and Moderna (mRNA) vaccines are interchangeable for second doses.  Residents who received Pfizer or Moderna as their first dose should take whichever of those two vaccines is available to them when they become eligible for their second dose.  If you received AstraZeneca as a first dose, you may also receive either Pfizer or Moderna for a second dose.  Both mRNA vaccines have been approved by Health Canada as safe and effective and allow residents to become fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Vaccination appointments can be booked through the Saskatchewan Health Authority online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829).

A map of participating pharmacies across the province is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies.  This online tool includes links to pharmacy booking websites and provides details on the vaccine brand being offered at each location.

For street addresses and hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

As the SHA is encouraging first dose vaccinations, please review clinic information carefully to ensure you are selecting the right clinic for you. 

If you do not know the date of your first dose or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, 1-833-SaskVax can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization.  Additional stops should be avoided if possible when travelling to another community for an appointment.  More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

During your second-dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe.  The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised.  Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 48 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on June 27, bringing the provincial total to 48,754 cases.  

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far North West, 6; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 5; North West, 2; North Central, 6; Saskatoon, 5; Central West, 1; Central East, 3; Regina, 9; South Central, 1; and South East, 2. Seven new cases are pending residence information. 

No new deaths were reported today. 

Recoveries total 47,639 and 549 cases are considered active.

There are 77 people in hospital. Sixty-seven are receiving inpatient care: North West, 7; North Central, 10; Saskatoon, 30; Central West, 1; Central East, 3; Regina, 14; and South Central, 2. Ten are in intensive care: North West, 2; North Central, 2; Saskatoon, 4; and Regina, 2. 

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 48 (3.9 per 100,000). A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 1,295 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on June 25, 2021.

To date, 912,713 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of June 25 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 769,080 tests performed per million population. The national rate was 961,106.

As of June 26, 12,109 Variants of Concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far North West, 310; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 85; North West, 804; North Central, 628; North East, 79; Saskatoon, 2,107; Central West, 146; Central East, 648; Regina, 4,794 South West, 399; South Central, 887; and South East, 1,139. There are 82 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are no new lineage results reported for Variants of Concern today. Of the 7,119 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 6,615 are Alpha (B.1.1.7), 316 are Gamma (P.1), 178 are Delta (B.1.617.2) and 10 are Beta (B.1.351).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, depending on testing for that case.  Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Limit COVID Transmission in your Community – Get Tested 

Getting tested assists the monitoring of active cases in the province, particularly with variants of concern in Saskatchewan.   Even if experiencing mild symptoms, stay home and seek a COVID-19 test.   Even if you have been recently vaccinated, it can take up to three weeks for your immune system to respond from a first dose and two weeks after a second dose.  Vaccines are not a cure preventing all possible transmission and you remain at risk of contracting COVID-19 during that time. 

COVID-19 testing is available to all residents.  You can still receive a referral for COVID-19 testing through HealthLine 811 or a health care provider, and drive-thru testing sites are available without a referral seven days a week in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Prince Albert.  Information on symptoms to watch for and how to get tested is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-testing.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – Step Two Now Underway

Saskatchewan has now entered Step Two of re-opening, with in-person gathering limits increasing across a number of sectors and for private gatherings.  More information on the changes within Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap are available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Guidance for individual sectors has been updated and is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – All Public Health Measures to Be Lifted July 11

With more than 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 having received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the full implementation of Step 3 of the Re-Opening Roadmap will occur on Sunday, July 11.

That means that as of Sunday, July 11, all public health orders will be removed.  This includes the removal of the province-wide mandatory masking order, and the removal of limits on events and gathering sizes. 

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Know your risk.  Keep yourself and others safe: www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-know-your-risk.


COVID-19 Update for June 26: 1,092,980 Vaccines Administered, 61 New Cases, 71 Recoveries, One New Death

Vaccines Reported

An additional 23,323 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 1,092,980.

The additional 23,323 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far North West, 330; Far North Central, 10; Far North East, 225; North West, 1,019; North Central, 1,480; North East, 871; Saskatoon, 6,732; Central West, 657; Central East, 2,219; Regina, 4,770; South West, 923; South Central, 1,309; and South East, 2,128.  There were 650 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Eighty per cent of those over the age of 40+ have received their first dose.  Seventy-five per cent of those 30+ have received their first dose.  Seventy one per cent of those 18+ have received their first dose, while seventy per cent of those 12+ have also received their first dose. 

Note: Age is calculated on the date of the most recent dose.  Someone age 69 at their first dose and 70 at their second will now be counted in the 70-79 group for both doses, resulting in a decrease in the 60-69 first dose number. 

All vaccine administration details for the province, including first and second doses, can be found at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness.

All Residents 12+ Eligible for Second Doses

All Saskatchewan residents 12 years and older who have received their first dose of vaccine are now be eligible to receive their second dose following a 28-day interval.

With the Delta variant circulating in Saskatchewan, it remains recommended that all residents receive second dose vaccinations as soon as you are eligible. 

Remember that while one dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against transmission, two doses are required for optimal protection.  Please receive your second dose as soon as you are eligible and maintain all public health measures until at least two weeks after your second dose.

As advised by National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on June 17, Pfizer and Moderna (mRNA) vaccines are interchangeable for second doses.  Residents who received Pfizer or Moderna as their first dose should take whichever of those two vaccines is available to them when they become eligible for their second dose.  If you received AstraZeneca as a first dose, you may also receive either Pfizer or Moderna for a second dose.  Both mRNA vaccines have been approved by Health Canada as safe and effective and allow residents to become fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Vaccination appointments can be booked through the Saskatchewan Health Authority online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829).

A map of participating pharmacies across the province is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies.  This online tool includes links to pharmacy booking websites and provides details on the vaccine brand being offered at each location.

For street addresses and hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

As the SHA is encouraging first dose vaccinations, please review clinic information carefully to ensure you are selecting the right clinic for you. 

If you do not know the date of your first dose or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, 1-833-SaskVax can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization.  Additional stops should be avoided if possible when travelling to another community for an appointment.  More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

During your second-dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe.  The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised.  Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 61 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on June 26, bringing the provincial total to 48,706 cases.  

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far North West, 10; Far North East, 1; North West, 12; North Central, 3; Saskatoon, 15; Central West, 3; Central East, 1; Regina, 7; South Central, 2; and South East, 6.  One new case is pending residence information. 

Six cases with pending residence information have been assigned to the following zones: Far North East, 3; North Central, 1; Central West, 1; and Regina, 1.  One case who tested out of province was added to the Saskatoon zone. Two cases were found to be out-of-province residents and were removed from the count. 

One new death was reported today in the 40 to 49 age group from the Regina zone.

Recoveries total 47,543 and 597 cases are considered active.

There are 79 people in hospital. Sixty-nine are receiving inpatient care: North West, 8; North Central, 10; Saskatoon, 31; Central West, 1; Central East, 3; Regina, 14; and South Central, 2.  Ten are in intensive care: North West, 2; North Central, 2; Saskatoon, 4; and Regina, 2. 

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 50 (4 per 100,000).  A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 1,905 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on June 24, 2021.

To date, 911,418 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan.  As of June 24 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 767,474 tests performed per million population.  The national rate was 959,990.

As of June 25, 12,091 Variants of Concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far North West, 305; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 85; North West, 801; North Central, 628; North East, 79; Saskatoon, 2,103; Central West, 147; Central East, 648; Regina, 4,792 South West, 399; South Central, 887; and South East, 1,137.  There are 79 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are no new lineage results reported for Variants of Concern today.  Of the 7,119 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 6,615 are Alpha (B.1.1.7), 316 are Gamma (P.1), 178 are Delta (B.1.617.2) and 10 are Beta (B.1.351).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, depending on testing for that case.  Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Limit COVID Transmission in your Community – Get Tested 

Getting tested assists the monitoring of active cases in the province, particularly with variants of concern in Saskatchewan.   Even if experiencing mild symptoms, stay home and seek a COVID-19 test.   Even if you have been recently vaccinated, it can take up to three weeks for your immune system to respond from a first dose and two weeks after a second dose.  Vaccines are not a cure preventing all possible transmission and you remain at risk of contracting COVID-19 during that time. 

COVID-19 testing is available to all residents.  You can still receive a referral for COVID-19 testing through HealthLine 811 or a health care provider, and drive-thru testing sites are available without a referral seven days a week in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Prince Albert.  Information on symptoms to watch for and how to get tested is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-testing.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – Step Two Now Underway

Saskatchewan has now entered Step Two of re-opening, with in-person gathering limits increasing across a number of sectors and for private gatherings.  More information on the changes within Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap are available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Guidance for individual sectors has been updated and is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – All Public Health Measures to Be Lifted July 11

With more than 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 having received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the full implementation of Step 3 of the Re-Opening Roadmap will occur on Sunday, July 11.

That means that as of Sunday, July 11, all public health orders will be removed.  This includes the removal of the province-wide mandatory masking order, and the removal of limits on events and gathering sizes. 

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Know your risk.  Keep yourself and others safe: www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-know-your-risk.

COVID-19 Update for June 24: 1,048,669 Vaccines Administered, 52 New Cases, 55 Recoveries

Vaccines Reported

An additional 24,971 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in the province to 1,048,669.

The additional 24,971 doses of COVID-19 vaccine reported today were administered to residents living in the following zones: Far North West, 530; Far North Central, 27; Far North East, 376; North West, 906; North Central, 1,652; North East, 1,503; Saskatoon, 6,561; Central West, 856; Central East, 2,620; Regina, 5,114; South West, 1,101; South Central, 1,232; and South East, 1,857.  There were 636 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

Eighty per cent of those over the age of 40+ have received their first dose.  Seventy-five per cent of those 30+ have received their first dose.  Seventy one per cent of those 18+ have received their first dose, while sixty-nine per cent of those 12+ have also received their first dose. 

Saskatchewan has received an additional confirmed Moderna allocation for the week of June 28. With the largest shipment to-date, Saskatchewan has been allocated 120,960 doses. 

Note: Age is calculated on the date of the most recent dose.  Someone age 69 at their first dose and 70 at their second will now be counted in the 70-79 group for both doses, resulting in a decrease in the 60-69 first dose number. 

All vaccine administration details for the province, including first and second doses, can be found at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness.

Second Dose Schedule 

All Saskatchewan residents who have received their first dose of vaccine are now be eligible to receive their second dose following a 28-day interval.

With the Delta variant circulating in Saskatchewan, it remains recommended that all residents receive second dose vaccinations as soon as you are eligible. 

Remember that while one dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against transmission, two doses are required for optimal protection.  Please receive your second dose as soon as you are eligible and maintain all public health measures until at least two weeks after your second dose.

As advised by National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on June 17, Pfizer and Moderna (mRNA) vaccines are interchangeable for second doses.  Residents who received Pfizer or Moderna as their first dose should take whichever of those two vaccines is available to them when they become eligible for their second dose.  If you received AstraZeneca as a first dose, you may also receive either Pfizer or Moderna for a second dose.  Both mRNA vaccines have been approved by Health Canada as safe and effective and allow residents to become fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Vaccination appointments can be booked through the Saskatchewan Health Authority online at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 or by calling 1-833-SaskVax (1-833-727-5829).

A map of participating pharmacies across the province is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-pharmacies.  This online tool includes links to pharmacy booking websites and provides details on the vaccine brand being offered at each location.

For street addresses and hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in clinics, see www.saskatchewan.ca/drive-thru-vax.

As the SHA is encouraging first dose vaccinations, please review clinic information carefully to ensure you are selecting the right clinic for you. 

If you do not know the date of your first dose or have misplaced the wallet card provided at the time of your first dose, 1-833-SaskVax can provide you with that date, or check your Immunization History on your MySaskHealthRecord account.

There may be clinic options outside your community and residents are encouraged to consider those alternate locations for immunization.  Additional stops should be avoided if possible when travelling to another community for an appointment.  More clinics will be added as new vaccine shipments are received.

During your second-dose appointment, the clinic or pharmacy will validate the timing and brand of your first dose to ensure you are receiving your second dose within the recommended timeframe.  The type of vaccine available at each location will be advertised.  Additional information on how to book your appointment is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine-booking.

Daily COVID-19 Statistics

There are 52 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on June 24, bringing the provincial total to 48,590 cases.  

One case was reassigned to the Regina zone.  One case has being added to the Regina zone from a Saskatchewan resident tested out-of-province. 

The new cases are located in the following zones: Far North West, 4; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 1; North West, 10; North Central, 7; Saskatoon, 10; Central West, 2; Central East, 4; Regina, 9; and South East, 3.  One case is pending residence information.

No new deaths are being reported today.

Recoveries total 47,420 and 605 cases are considered active.

There are 76 people in hospital. Sixty-two are receiving inpatient care: Far North West, 1; North West, 6; North Central, 7; Saskatoon, 29; Central East, 3; Regina, 13; and South Central, 3.  Fourteen people are in intensive care: North West, 2; North Central, 2; Saskatoon, 5; and Regina, 5. 

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case number is 55 (4.5 per 100,000).  A chart comparing today’s average to data collected over the past several months is available at https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/health-wellness/covid-19/seven-day-average-of-new-covid-cases.

There were 1,834 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on June 23, 2021.

To date, 907,701 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan.  As of June 22, 2021, when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 764,371 tests performed per million population.  The national rate was 956,309.

As of June 22, 12,035 Variants of Concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the following zones: Far North West, 301; Far North Central, 1; Far North East, 83; North West, 787; North Central, 621; North East, 79; Saskatoon, 2,090; Central West, 145; Central East, 644; Regina, 4,783; South West, 399; South Central, 887; and South East, 1,134.  There are 81 screened VOCs with residence pending.

There are no new lineage results reported for Variants of Concern today.  Of the 6,904 VOCs with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing in Saskatchewan, 6,476 are Alpha (B.1.1.7), 293 are Gamma (P.1), 125 are Delta (B.1.617.2) and 10 are Beta (B.1.351).

Confirmed variant of concern cases may appear in both columns on the website, depending on testing for that case.  Adding the cases identified by screening and those that have received whole genome sequencing may result in double-counting individual cases.

Further statistics on the total number of cases among health care workers, breakdowns of total cases by source of infection, age, sex and region, total tests to date, per capita testing rate and current numbers of confirmed variants of concern can be found at http://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-cases.

Limit COVID Transmission in your Community — Get Tested 

Getting tested assists the monitoring of active cases in the province, particularly with variants of concern in Saskatchewan.   Even if experiencing mild symptoms, stay home and seek a COVID-19 test.   Even if you have been recently vaccinated, it can take up to three weeks for your immune system to respond from a first dose and two weeks after a second dose.  Vaccines are not a cure preventing all possible transmission and you remain at risk of contracting COVID-19 during that time. 

COVID-19 testing is available to all residents.  You can still receive a referral for COVID-19 testing through HealthLine 811 or a health care provider, and drive-thru testing sites are available without a referral seven days a week in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Prince Albert.  Information on symptoms to watch for and how to get tested is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-testing.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – Step Two Now Underway

Saskatchewan has now entered Step Two of re-opening, with in-person gathering limits increasing across a number of sectors and for private gatherings.  More information on the changes within Step Two of the Re-Opening Roadmap are available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open-roadmap.

Guidance for individual sectors has been updated and is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

Saskatchewan’s Re-Opening Roadmap – All Public Health Measures to Be Lifted July 11

With more than 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 having received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the full implementation of Step 3 of the Re-Opening Roadmap will occur on Sunday, July 11.

That means that as of Sunday, July 11, all public health orders will be removed.  This includes the removal of the province-wide mandatory masking order, and the removal of limits on events and gathering sizes. 

General COVID-19 Information

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Know your risk.  Keep yourself and others safe: www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-know-your-risk.

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan