Two Saskatchewan residents have died in hospital as a result of complications related to COVID-19.

Both individuals were in their 70s and died on Sunday in separate parts of the province.

The Saskatchewan government did not mention exactly where the patients were located.

These are the first deaths in the province related to the novel coronavirus.

One of the cases was the result of local transmission and the other was travel-related.

The provincial government announced 20 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

The total number of confirmed cases in Saskatchewan is 176.

Five infected individuals are in hospital and 14 people have recovered from the virus in the province.