‘MINIMIZE THE RISK’
Province’s schools remain open for now but officials are monitoring the situation
Provincial officials extend measures to combat COVID-19, including a ban on most indoor gatherings of more than 250 people and restrictions on government travel, as Saskatchewan records its second presumptive case of the pandemic virus.
Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer ordered a ban on large public gatherings on Friday as the province faces its second presumptive case of COVID -19.
Premier Scott Moe said the government is taking “aggressive” measures that will reduce the risk of Saskatchewan being overwhelmed by a pandemic that has seen more than 150 cases in Canada.
The public health order, which will take effect on Monday, prohibits events that bring together 250 people in a single room. It also bans gatherings of more than 50 people that include speakers or attendees with recent international travel.
Outdoor events are allowed, so long as social distance can be maintained. Retail locations and faith-based organizations are also exempt, though chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab urged them to take precautions to reduce crowding.
“Our risk is low right now in terms of community transmissions,” said Shahab. “But the risk can ramp up very quickly, as we’ve seen in other jurisdictions, and what we do today can minimize the risk.”
Shahab announced that a person in their 60s has become the second presumptive case of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. The resident recently travelled to Oregon and was tested in Saskatoon on March 10. A positive test result came back Friday.
That follows a first patient who tested positive in Saskatoon on Wednesday, after returning from Egypt on March 6.
The second patient is currently self-isolating. Public health is following up with anyone the individual may have come into contact with, though Shahab expected there would be few contacts.
More than 300 tests have been done in the province so far. Shahab said the health system is now “ramping up testing.”
He announced that the Saskatchewan Health Authority will open stand-alone assessment and testing centres in Regina and Saskatoon to handle the high volumes expected in those cities, while testing in smaller communities will take place in separate rooms at existing health facilities.
Shahab said the Regina and Saskatoon centres were open on a trial basis on Friday, and will be in fuller operation either over the weekend or early next week.
There are currently no plans for school closures, though Shahab said that will be monitored on a daily basis and could occur “if and when the need arises.”
“We want to minimize social disruption,” he said.
Shahab noted that it’s likely most Saskatchewan people will, at some point, contract the virus. There could be additional restrictions on the way to control its spread in the days ahead.
Moe was on a conference call Friday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s chief public health officer. He noted that more than $15 million in federal funding will be coming to Saskatchewan and devoted entirely to COVID -19 response.
“All of the necessary resources will be made available to support the diligent effort that is already underway,” said Moe. “Not only to address the pressures, but to ensure that we are able to respond as quickly as possible to the needs as they arise.”
The province is looking at applying some of the federal money to enhance its testing, according to Moe. An additional testing platform in Saskatoon is being considered.
Moe and Shahab both said the province is currently keeping up with demand for testing.
Testing is only provided to people who develop symptoms — like cough or fever — after travel or attending large conferences, as well as to patients at hospitals with respiratory illness and in the case of outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Close contacts of those people could also be tested.
Shahab said opening it up further “would not be efficient,” but he said that could change.
The order on large gatherings applies until further notice. Shahab said it’s rare for people to violate a public health order, though he noted that the law provides for consequences in the case of violations.
“We expect that people are going to comply,” Health Minister Jim Reiter added. “But there are significant financial penalty provisions in the act, if it ever came to that.”
Reiter said the province will continue to deal with “extremely concerning” dropped calls and long wait times at Saskatchewan’s Healthline, 811, but has already made progress.
“We’ve effectively more than doubled the capacity right now,” said Reiter.
The provincial government is also imposing restrictions on its own employees, banning them from travelling on government business outside of Canada and restricting travel domestically.
Moe called on Saskatchewan people to do their part to ensure the province’s strategy is effective.
“While these are significant steps that will help limit the transmission of COVID-19,” he said, “most important is the responsibility that we all have to ensure we do what we can to reduce the risk to ourselves, reduce the risk to our families and reduce the risk to our communities.”