COVID hospitalizations hit new high

Saskatoon sees 21 new infections as case numbers in province surge

After several days of setting

REGINA new record high active COVID-19 case numbers, Saskatchewan has now also reached a record of 21 people in hospital with the illness.

Thursday brought 60 new reported cases, bringing the province's active case count to the new all-time high of 509. Three of the people in hospital are in intensive care.

Of the new cases, 21 are in Saskatoon, 13 are in the north central, two are in the far north west, six are in the far north east, four are in Regina, four are in the north west, three are in the north east and two are in the south east zones. The central west, central east and south west zones each have one new case.

Saskatoon continues to have the most active cases of any zone with 129, and on Thursday the Saskatchewan Health Authority's (SHA) daily list of businesses exposed to COVID-19 included six Saskatoon bars and other licensed venues. This comes as the city continues to feel the fallout of outbreaks at Divas Nightclub, The Longbranch and The Canadian Brewhouse (Stonebridge).

Saskatoon's Dogg House was one of the businesses on the most recent exposure list, and bartender Trevor Mackinnon said the bar had been notified of a customer later testing positive.

Mackinnon has watched Saskatoon's mounting case count with concern.

“It's too close to home,” he said of hearing about outbreaks at other bars and nightclubs. “The moment I heard about it we started just going a little overboard in what we were doing.”

Shortly after the SHA alerted them of the exposure, the bar closed for a few hours for extensive cleaning. Mackinnon said just last week the bar decided to close its live music venue, which had reopened with restrictions.

“Until we know everything's OK, or close to OK, we're not booking any more live events for now,” he said, adding it has been frustrating to see some other businesses in the industry take fewer precautions.

“I am worried that because of other businesses not doing their due diligence like we're doing, it could make it bad for everybody else.”

Crazy Eggs restaurant and The RIV bar at the Riviera Motor Inn were exposed to COVID-19 nearly every day last week, and the hours given indicate it was an employee who tested positive. In a Facebook post Thursday, the business said it was closing temporarily to “complete a thorough cleaning.”

“We will remain closed until further notice to ensure the safety of our staff and customers,” the post said.

The provincial government also released this week's report on youth cases and testing numbers, which showed the test positivity rate in youths 19 and under is at one per cent. This is in line with the rest of the province. Since schools reopened, 83 cases have been in children ages four and under, 164 cases between ages five and 13 and 184 cases between ages 14 and 19.

On Thursday, Regina Catholic Schools said there was a COVID-19 case in a person at St. Kateri Tekakwitha School. It is working with public health to inform parents and caregivers, and the SHA is doing contact tracing.

St. Joseph High School in Saskatoon reported a positive case of COVID-19, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools said in a news release on Wednesday evening. A case was also reported in E.D. Feehan Catholic High School on Thursday. The division said it was notified of the case by the SHA, but did not say whether the cases were staff members or students.

An outbreak was declared in Charlebois Community School on Cumberland House Cree Nation on Thursday, and a letter sent to parents and staff from the SHA said public health officials were investigating more than one case.

An outbreak was also declared on Sturgeon Lake First Nation by the Northern Inter-tribal Health Authority on Wednesday.

Sturgeon Lake First Nation is in the province's north central zone.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is warning people about recent potential COVID exposures at businesses in Saskatoon. The alerts mean someone who later tested positive visited the business while they were likely infectious.

SASKATOON

Oct. 11: Crazy Eggs Restaurant and RIV Bar on Avenue B North, 9:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; Hose and Hydrant on 11th Street East, 7 p.m. to close; Snooker Shack on Eighth Street East, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Oct. 12: Hose and Hydrant on 11th Street East, 7 p.m. to close

Oct. 13: Crazy Eggs on Avenue B North, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Good Life Fitness on Preston Avenue North, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Fit4less on Confederation Drive, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Snooker Shack on Eighth Street East, 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Oct. 14: Hillcrest Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home (including anyone who attended a private luncheon/ function) on Wess Road, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Fit4less on Confederation Drive, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Crazy Eggs on Avenue B North during afternoon hours and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Oct. 15: Crazy Eggs on Avenue B North during afternoon hours; Old Spaghetti Factory on Idylwyld Drive, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Fit4less on Confederation Drive, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 16: Outlaws bar on Idylwyld Drive, 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Shell gas station on Broadway, noon to 12:15 p.m.; Plato's Closet on 105th St. East, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Crazy Eggs on Avenue B North during afternoon hours; Superstore on Eighth Street, 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 17: Crazy Eggs on Avenue B North during afternoon hours; The Dogg House on Idylwyld Drive North during evening hours

Oct. 18: Crazy Eggs on Avenue

B North during afternoon hours; Dublin's Pub on Fairlight Drive during evening hours