As of May 4, Saskatchewan has 34 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 467.
Twenty-nine of the new cases are in the Far North (La Loche and surrounding area), four of the new cases are in the North and one is in the Saskatoon area.
The locally reported presumptive positive cases noted on May 2 have now been confirmed and are accounted for in the total number of cases.
Of the 467 reported cases, 154 are considered active. Two more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 307.
There are currently 11 people in hospital; seven are receiving inpatient care (two in the North region and five in Saskatoon) and four are in intensive care (three in Saskatoon and one in the North).
Of the 467 cases in the province:
• 138 cases are travellers;
• 182 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);
• 40 have no known exposures; and
• 107 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.
• 162 of the cases are from the Saskatoon area, 110 from the Far North, 93 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South, and 11 from the Central region.
• 51 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 167 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 152 are in the 40-59 age range; 82 are in the 60-79 age range; and 15 are in the 80-plus range.
• 49 per cent of the cases are males and 51 per cent are females.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.
To date, 32,334 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 2, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 25,116 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 23,770 people tested per million population.
Re-Open Saskatchewan
Phase 1 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan begins today.
It allows public access to previously restricted medical services and provides specific guidelines related to parks and campgrounds, boat launches, fishing and golf courses.
A Public Health Order (https://www.saskatchewan.ca/-/media/files/coronavirus/public-health-measures/public-health-orders/order-may-3-2020-re-open-sk.pdf) is in place for Phase 1 of the plan.
Residents should remember measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 must continue:
• Public and private gatherings are still limited to no more than 10 people.
• Continue physical distancing of two metres.
• People planning to form an extended household group with one or two families and friends should exercise extreme caution. The limit on gathering sizes still applies.
• Businesses that are not a critical public service or an allowable business listed on www.saskatchewan.ca remain closed.
The staged lifting of restrictions does not apply to the communities of La Loche and Lloydminster, which are currently managing outbreaks of COVID-19 cases.
Mental Health Week
May 4 to 10 is national Mental Health Week.
With the ongoing pandemic, many families and individuals are feeling additional strain. The Government of Canada has launched a new portal dedicated to mental wellness, Wellness Together Canada (https://ca.portal.gs/) to help provide support.
Additional support in Saskatchewan during this difficult time can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/mental-health-and-covid-19#mental-health.
If you are experiencing 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.