Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Paul Merriman, will provide a COVID-19 update Thursday to announce changes related to testing and isolation, and provide an update on key indicators relating to case numbers including hospitalizations. This after the province reported 896 new cases of COVID-19 over the Christmas break.

Ontario and Quebec broke records for new daily COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Health officials in Quebec reported13,149 new infections and 10 more deaths connected to COVID-19. Ontario also had a daily record with 10-thousand, 436 new COVID-19 cases.

Saskatchewan Health officials are urging residents to make getting vaccinated a new year’s resolution.

Almost 85 per cent of residents five years and up have received their first COVID-19 vaccination and more than 75 per cent are fully vaccinated.

November 28th, a month ago, Saskatchewan had just under 75 per cent fully vaccinated.

The government is recommending what it calls “Layering” preventative measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. That includes getting fully vaccinated and your booster dose as soon as you’re eligible, masking outside of home, limit your contacts and any non-essential travel, stay home if your sick and socialize outdoors more than indoors.

Symptoms of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 appear to be more like a cold than previous variants sch as a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing and fatigue. Residents are urged, if they have the symptoms, to get tested and self isolate at home.

Since introduced, the SK Vax Wallet app has been downloaded more than 474,000 times.

From January 1to January 3 inclusive, the COVID-19 website and dashboard will again not be updated. COVID-19 case reporting will resume on January 4, 2022.

In the week of December 6, Saskatchewan Health Authority public health inspectors issued three tickets of $2,800 each for failure to mask to individuals in Lloydminster and the surrounding area.