No charges over gatherings tied to virus

SASKATOON The people who gathered in groups larger than 10 in Saskatoon, which have been linked to up to four COVID -19 cases, will face no charges or fines.

In an emailed statement on Thursday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said no charges will be laid or fines levied in relation to the gatherings, which happened in early May. The SHA will focus on education instead.

The health authority declared an outbreak in Saskatoon on Wednesday based on two cases of COVID-19 linked to two large family gatherings that resulted in contact tracing of more than 60 people.

Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said at the province’s daily briefing on Thursday that up to four cases are now connected to the gatherings, which exceeded the 10-person limit.

“Obviously, there is the possibility of issuing a ticket and fines, but progressive enforcement has worked well for us in the past,” Shahab told reporters.

He and Premier Scott Moe stressed the need to focus on education, but offered no new information on the gatherings, including the locations in Saskatoon. Moe said the few fines issued in the province so far have followed education and warnings.

Shahab said everyone connected to the gatherings is self-isolating, so releasing more information would not serve any public interest.

Saskatoon had seven active cases on Thursday.

City police have issued no fines under the pandemic public health orders and have focused on education, according to an emailed statement. The province introduced the 10-person limit in March; it’s set to increase to 30 outdoors and 15 indoors on June 8.

Saskatchewan attracted nationwide attention in March when it introduced a $2,000 fine for failing to self-isolate after travel.

Moe and Shahab faced questions about fines in relation to the Saskatoon gatherings on a day when the province announced two new cases, including one in Saskatoon. The other is located in the north.

The total number of cases in the province reached 639 on Thursday.

Nine more recoveries left the number of active cases at 61, including 46 in the far north region, where the largest number of the province’s COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed.

A Facebook page tracking cases in La Loche with the participation of the SHA said active cases in the northern village dropped to 27 on Wednesday, with no new cases for three days.

Testing also appeared to be on the rise after the province introduced expanded criteria on Monday. Tests jumped to 751 reported Thursday, from 538 on Wednesday and 268 on Tuesday.

Four people remained in hospital Thursday, including three in intensive care.

Moe said there are no plans to delay the third phase of reopening in Saskatoon, set for June 8, based on the outbreak. Discussions could begin next week on lifting restrictions in the far north, he added.

Moe also dismissed calls by the NDP Opposition to introduce minimum care standards for long-term care homes as shocking conditions at facilities elsewhere in Canada become a growing concern.

Moe put his hand on a 191-page document outlining guidelines for long-term care homes and said they form minimum standards for Saskatchewan. He pointed to the record in Saskatchewan, which has not experienced the same level of care home outbreaks as elsewhere in Canada.

He noted Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 death rate is 8.5 per million people, compared to the national rate of 181, the U.S. rate of 310 and the worldwide rate of 46.

“So we are doing very, very well in Saskatchewan,” Moe said.

He added that the most recent report detailing SHA CEO tours of long-term care facilities will be made public “shortly.”

NDP health critic Vicki Mowat and seniors critic Danielle Chartier appeared at an online news conference to call for minimum standards and for the provincial government to release the CEO tour report.

“We need to see a robust and honest account of the state of affairs in long-term care to be able to gauge the quality of long-term care in Saskatchewan, especially considering the vulnerability of this population to COVID-19 as we’ve seen in other places,” Mowat said.

Moe noted there have been COVID -19 cases in care homes in Saskatchewan, but they have been contained.