The latest numbers released from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health show the peak of the flu season may appear to have passed.

For the week ending January 19th, there were 31 new cases of the flu confirmed by lab testing. This is down substantially from December when there were 358 new cases for the week ending December 15th.

Since September, there have been 2,080 lab-confirmed cases of influenza. The Ministry of Health cautioned the numbers are an underestimate, however, as not all people seek medical care for the flu, and therefore aren’t tested.

The flu has been blamed for eight deaths in the province since September 1st, and 21 admissions to ICU. There has also been 20 outbreaks in long-term care facilities

The Ministry is reporting the southern region of the province as Level 2 in terms of influenza-like illness activity this week, with sporadic lab confirmations.