Touting the success of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19, the provincial government issued a streamlined update on Tuesday, one with far fewer details than people in Saskatchewan are used to seeing. The details they chose to provide, however, appear to show vaccines are having an impact. 

"As more Saskatchewan residents receive their vaccinations, serious outcomes from COVID-19 have declined dramatically," reads the release. "Comparing indicators between June 1-25 and July 1-25, new cases fell from 1,848 to 894."

In that same time period, hospitalizations fell from 105 to 55. ICU admissions decreased from 21 to 13, while deaths from the virus fell from 25 to eight. According to the province, there were six deaths from the virus in July of 2020.

"This week, the Ministry of Health will provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccination and breakthrough information for the month of July," the release continued. "It is anticipated that the previously observed trend will continue: vaccinations continue to prevent the most serious illness and deaths due to COVID-19."

Over the August Long Weekend, the province reported 11,713 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered. This means 75 percent of Saskatchewan residents over the age of 12 have been vaccinated with one dose. 64 percent of the population over 12 is now fully vaccinated. 

Starting this week, the Ministry of Health is changing from mass vaccination clinics and their online appointment booking system to "focused outreach to provide COVID-19 vaccinations where residents live, work and play." They will start putting pop-up and walk-in clinic information on their website and advertising locally on August 8.