As of May 7, Saskatchewan has 19 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 531.
Fifteen of the new cases are in the Far North with 12 of those being in the La Loche area, while the remaining four are in the North region.
Of the 531 reported cases, 196 are considered active.
Seventeen more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 329.
There are currently 12 people in hospital – eight are receiving inpatient care (two in the North and six in Saskatoon) and four are in intensive care (three in Saskatoon and one in the North).
Of the 531 cases in the province:
• 139 cases are travellers;
• 231 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);
• 53 have no known exposures; and
• 108 are under investigation by local public health.
Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 43 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 167 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 99 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 11 from the Central region.
• 71 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 188 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 163 are in the 40-59 age range; 93 are in the 60-79 age range; and 16 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.
To date, 34,361 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 5, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 26,605 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 25,821 people tested per million population.
Lloydminster Reopen May 11
With the outbreak in the Lloydminster Hospital stable, Lloydminster may proceed with plans to open services and businesses as described in Phase One of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan starting Monday, May 11. Services and businesses will be required to follow the phased approach and safety procedures required under the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.
All residents must continue to follow necessary personal protective measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, including maintaining physical distancing, participating in no gatherings more than 10 people, washing hands frequently, etc.
Opening is at the discretion of the workplace, based on their risk assessment and ability to operate safely, protecting staff and customers. Proceeding with Phase Two will be determined by public health officials and local leadership.
Additional Guidance on Extended Households
Saskatchewan residents must continue to take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
This includes limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people – inside and outside – within an extended household group only.
With extreme caution and under the following conditions, one or two close families may form an extended household group:
• Your families or friends must remain consistent. Do not visit different families or friends every day.
• If you are going to create an extended household group, consider if any member of the group has chronic health conditions that would put them at greater risk, or if they are in close contact with someone who could be vulnerable. Avoid forming an extended household with vulnerable people.
• Families and friends within an extended household contact group can be closer than two metres if they are not high-risk.
• Physical distancing of two metres should still be practiced around people with chronic health conditions and caution should be used in gatherings to limit touching common items, such as utensils.
• You should always be aware of who you have been in contact with over the past two weeks. These are the people who would need to be contacted by public health if you were to test positive for COVID-19.
Preventative Measures for Seniors and Individuals with Chronic Conditions
It is important to note that the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan is not a personal preventative information document. It is a guide for businesses.
We want to stress that older people or those with chronic conditions are at elevated risk for a more severe form of the disease and that risk continues even with the relaxing of certain guidelines.
Therefore, those who are more vulnerable may still want to be cautious in engaging in activities where physical distancing cannot be reliably maintained and masking is not in effect. For example, shopping for non-essential supplies.
All Saskatchewan residents must continue to practice everyday preventive actions in the new normal, including:
• Practice proper cough and sneezing etiquette (into a tissue or the bend of your elbow);
• Wash your hands often with soap and water; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
• Clean and disinfect your home regularly;
• Maintain safe food practices;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Stay home if sick;
• Call ahead if needing to access health services for your health condition;
• Avoid unnecessary travel; and
• Avoid large crowds and practice physical distancing (do not shake hands, hug or kiss except within your extended household).
If you are experiencing even mild symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.
General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.