The Saskatoon area topped 300 variant COVID-19 cases according to Tuesday’s provincial update.
As of Monday, the area had 181 variant coronavirus cases.
The number of variant COVID-19 cases in the Saskatoon jumped to 302 in Tuesday’s provincial update.
News of the reported surge came the same day as the province tightened its COVID-19 public health order to restrict mixing between households.
The COVID-19 information the province shares does not specify how many of the cases are considered active.
Fourteen days prior, on March 31 there were 53 reported variant cases in the Saskatoon area.
Generally, 14 days is the recommended period of self-isolation for those either diagnosed with COVID-19 or considered at risk of developing the illness. The rise in cases represents a nearly five-fold increase.
The B.1.1.7 or U.K. variant accounts for nearly all of the cases in Saskatchewan where the strain has been positively identified.
Health officials say the variant can potentially spread faster than the original coronavirus strain.
A study released earlier in March also showed the B.1.1.7 variant may result in a higher rate of death than the original novel coronavirus strain.
