As of May 1, Saskatchewan has 26 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 415.

Nineteen of the new cases are in the Far North (La Loche and surrounding area), four are in the North (three in Lloydminster) and three are in the Saskatoon area.

While there is only one COVID-19 positive case involving a patient at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, an outbreak has been declared at the hospital. Contact tracing and investigation is underway to ensure all contacts are identified and testing has been completed on all known contacts.

Of the 415 reported cases, 112 are considered active. Two more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 297.

There are currently 10 people in hospital; seven are receiving inpatient care (four in the North region and three in Saskatoon) and three are in intensive care (in Saskatoon).

Of the 415 cases in the province:
• 138 cases are travellers;
• 163 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);
• 38 have no known exposures; and
• 76 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 40 of the cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 156 of the cases are from the Saskatoon area, 81 from the north, 75 from the Regina area, 77 from the far north, 15 from the south, and 11 from the central region.
• 39 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 151 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 139 are in the 40-59 age range; 73 are in the 60-79 age range; and 13 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are males and 50 per cent are females.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 30,357 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of April 29, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 23,658 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 20,971 people tested per million population.

Information on Critical Travel in the North

The Ministry of Health recommends proper road travel etiquette for critical travel in the North to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

The only people who should be travelling to the North are people returning to their primary residence, and people going to La Ronge or Stoney Rapids. No one should be stopping in between communities or travelling between them.

The following measures should also be observed:
• Limit outings to one person per household, or limit the occupants in a vehicle only to members of the same household.
• Carpooling or ride sharing should be discontinued wherever possible. If carpooling must occur, physical distancing should be maintained as much as possible. This may include having people sit in the back.
• Everyone in the vehicle must wash their hands frequently and practice good respiratory etiquette (cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your arm). Consider wearing a cloth or surgical mask when unable to maintain two metre distance from non-family members.
• Stay home. Do not travel or share a vehicle if you are ill or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People may travel to the closest community of their primary home to buy essential goods and services that are not available in their home community.
• Follow physical distancing directions provided by the grocery store. Keep a distance of two metres from other customers, even in the checkout line.
• Do not go shopping if you are sick or symptomatic. Make use of community or delivery services where possible.

Communities without grocery stores are encouraged to create bulk purchasing plans with its members in order to limit travel. Communities should also work with their regional partners to facilitate efficient critical travel to and from hubs for items such as groceries and medication.

Shoppers should contact stores prior to visiting in case there are customer limits.

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.