Four non-travel COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan

Chief medical officer emphasizes, again, the importance of social distancing

As COVID-19 community transmission has started in Saskatchewan, Dr. Saqib Shahab is emphasizing — again — the importance of social distancing.

“As long as you maintain your social distance, you will not transmit to someone else,” chief medical health officer Shahab said Tuesday afternoon in a news conference.

That’s because, while the healthcare system has increased its capacity to handle the crisis, “It’s not going to be enough,” said Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone. “The more we flatten the curve, the more our capacity’s not going to spike.”

Chief medical officer Dr. Susan Shaw couldn’t guarantee that ventilators and beds would be available to patients in need.

“Our commitment is prepare and do everything possible at our end to be ready, and our ask is that everybody out in the public keeps themselves safe.”

The province announced six new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 72 confirmed cases.

Four cases are community transmitted, meaning the infected person did not travel outside the province.

One of those is in Regina, two are in Saskatoon, and one is in central Saskatchewan.

“That’s really the start of a very new phase for us,” said Shahab.

Community transmission is determined by ruling out a patient as having travelled, attended a large event, or having close contact with someone who had travelled in the past two weeks.

Shahab said everyone should proceed “as if there’s unknown community transmission.”

“That’s not a reason to panic; it’s a reason to be very thoughtful about day-to-day activities. … You’re not touching your eyes or face while you’re shopping, while you’re out and about.

“The most important route of transmission is through hand, eye, mouth contact.”

Social distancing counts privately as well as publicly: “You can’t have limits on gathering in public places and have house parties,” said Shahab.

“We have to change how we interact.”

DOG PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS CLOSING

To promote social distancing, the City of Regina on Tuesday announced it is in the process of closing some of its city-run park spaces, including its 165 playgrounds and dog parks. People should cease using these facilities immediately.

“This decision follows Public Health Official guidelines to avoid contact with shared surfaces such as playground equipment,” the city stated in a news release.

“Dog parks, skateboard parks, picnic sites, and basketball, tennis and pickleball courts will also be closed.”

Green spaces and pathways remain open, so “residents can enjoy our open spaces while maintaining physical distancing measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.”

TESTING RAMPS UP

Returning travellers should stay home, and call Healthline 811 if they have a fever or cough.

Shahab said testing would be increased for people who have not travelled.

“There is lab capacity to maintain that,” he said.

“It’s really important that testing is conserved for health-care workers, because we want to make sure that health-care workers are working if they’re not sick, but not working if they have even mild symptoms,” he added.

Most cases will be mild and will go undetected, said Shahab.

“They are a dry cough for two or three days and they don’t need to be tested either. What you have to do is practise social distancing all the time ... only go to work if it’s essential, avoid crowding. Those tests will interrupt chains of transmission, like closing restaurants and bars. That is the whole purpose,” said Shahab.

“We all need to play our role. I shouldn’t be here if I have a cough. I should presume I have acquired COVID-19 and if I just have a cough, no fever, I’ll stay home for two weeks or as long as it takes, and that’s what all of us have to do.”

Shahab said COVID -19 is “somewhere in between SARS and influenza — less infectious than influenza and harder to control than SARS.”

He said, over time, the community will develop a population immunity, but “we want that herd immunity to come slowly; we don’t want everyone to get infected, overwhelm the health system, which will cause significant pressures and challenges in providing care.”