Another 19 infections identified in Sask., most in far north

SASKATOON The COVID-19 outbreak in the remote village of La Loche pushed total cases in the sparsely populated northern half of Saskatchewan past that of the region that includes its largest city.

The province announced 19 new cases on Thursday, including 15 in the far-north region where La Loche is located. That increased the total diagnosed cases in the far north to 167, compared to 163 cases in the Saskatoon region.

Of the province’s 196 active cases, 138 are located in the far north; 39 are in the north region, 16 in the Saskatoon region and three in the Regina region.

Twelve of the new cases are located in La Loche, but the province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said most of the area’s diagnosed cases are in younger people, for whom outcomes usually are less severe.

“And there we do know that most of the cases are in younger adults, youth and younger adults, and that has been the chain of transmission,” Shahab told reporters at the province’s daily pandemic briefing.

“Most households there are practising physical distancing, and that is containing the spread ... now younger adults are being followed by public health and are being supported to self-isolate.”

Shahab warned that young people can spread the disease to older, more vulnerable people.

La Loche resident Chester Herman told The Starphoenix on Thursday that the village’s Northern store, one of only two grocery stores in the community, is closed because an employee tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday.

Herman added he’s still seeing young people gathering and partying, despite the climbing infection rate and the deaths of two elders in the community.

“They’re not contributing to slow down this virus,” he said. “How many more lives do we have to lose from our elders in order for us to wake up? I don’t know.”

Herman and some others want the town’s liquor store to be closed.

Mayor Robert St. Pierre said on Tuesday that he’s talking to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority about closing the store.

The Saskatchewan Public Health Agency said 300 cleaning kits are expected to arrive in La Loche on Friday to address shortages.

The 19 new cases bumped the province’s total to 531; 17 new recoveries pushed the total number of recoveries to 329. There were 12 diagnosed people in hospital, including four in intensive care units.

Saskatchewan Health Authority chief executive Scott Livingstone told reporters patients diagnosed in one region might be moved to a hospital in another region. Therefore, a region’s hospitalizations do not necessarily reflect people who were diagnosed in that geographical area.

The province also announced the reopening plan that began in most of the province on Monday will start next week in Lloydminster, with some health services like dentists and physiotherapists allowed to resume.

The reopening had been delayed because of an outbreak of 13 cases in the Lloydminster Hospital. The reopening will start in Lloydminster next Monday.

Meanwhile, some Saskatchewan hair salons are declining the opportunity to open on May 19 over concerns about the safety of clients and hairstylists.

Owners of three Saskatoon salons joined NDP Opposition Leader Ryan Meili on his daily online news conference on Thursday to air their concerns about the Saskatchewan government’s reopening plan.

Under Phase 2 of the plan, hair salons will be allowed to open along with a slate of retail stores. Hair stylists are advised to wear “droplet PPE (personal protective equipment),” including a procedural/surgical mask, eye protection and an apron.

Julia Darling, who owns High Noon Barber, said the vagueness of the plan has convinced salon owners like herself to wait.

“These guidelines should be clear regulations, not ‘You should dress like a surgeon or don’t. It’s your call. But you probably should,’” Darling told reporters. “We’re being told we should wear medical grade PPE, but we have no training in how to properly outfit ourselves.”

Megan Gustafson, who owns Manestreet Hair, said she has ordered PPE, but has not yet decided when she will reopen her salon. She said there is uncertainty over the continued supply of PPE, especially when other personal care services reopen in the third phase of the plan.

“We need to feel comfortable with what we’re doing,” Gustafson said.

Meili repeated his call to pause the second phase of the Saskatchewan Party government’s reopening plan, given the increase in COVID-19 cases over the past week.

In the last seven days, 142 new cases have been identified.

With files from Zak Vescera ptank@postmedia.com twitter.com/thinktanksk