Most of province’s 11 new COVID-19 cases in far north
Saskatchewan announced 11 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and nine more recoveries, bringing its total number of cases to 564.
Nine new COVID-19 cases and five more recoveries were announced on Saturday, as the province enters Week 2 of its plan to gradually reopen.
Nine of the 11 new cases are in the far north — three of which are in La Loche — and two are in the north. A total of 349 people have now recovered from the disease in Saskatchewan, according to a news release issued Sunday.
Twelve people are currently in hospital, down from 19 people on Friday. Eight are receiving in-patient care, with five in the north and three in Saskatoon. Four are in intensive care in Saskatoon.
Effective Saturday, the SLGA retail store and private off-sale in La Loche will be closed for two weeks, according to the province’s release.
La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre and the town’s council had previously passed a resolution recommending the full closure of all alcohol sales, distribution and consumption sites in the community. This resolution was passed on to Lori Carr, provincial minister of government relations, on Thursday.
“After further consultation with community and Indigenous leaders, the government notified leaders that the closure of liquor retailers would proceed as recommended,” the release said.
“The Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority will support the community to identify and assist residents who may be at risk of harm due to alcohol withdrawal, and will be providing further alcohol addictions program supports in the community.”
This comes after reports that some young people in the community are not following public health orders or recommendations.
Premier Scott Moe told reporters on Friday that, if this is the case, he wants the youth in La Loche to consider the consequences of their actions.
“It does affect the elders that we love in our family,” Moe said.
“And so I would ask the youth in La Loche to take their personal responsibility very, very seriously ... to protect not only themselves, but to protect the elders in their family, the elders in their community, that I know they love and cherish so very much.”
The Lloydminster Hospital has also been the site of a COVID-19 outbreak.
In an update about the facility posted to its website on Friday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said one health care worker who had been self-isolating after coming in contact with a confirmed case tested positive on Thursday. Another case linked to a positive health care worker was diagnosed in the community.
The SHA’S Service Resumption Plan maps out a gradual plan to allow health services to restart in communities while focusing on patient and staff safety. Some services will resume as early as May 19, but Lloydminster Hospital is not expected to be part of this early phase.
A BREAKDOWN OF SASKATCHEWAN’S CASES
Of the province’s 564 cases, 209 are considered active. Travellers make up 138 of the cases, 286 are community contacts including mass gatherings, 61 have no known exposures and 79 are under investigation by local public health.
OVERALL IN SASKATCHEWAN:
Some 48 of the cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances:
193 are from the far north, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 105 are from the north, 76 are from the Regina area, 15 are from the south and 12 are from the central region
77 cases involve people under 19 years old, 199 cases are in the 2039 age range, 176 are in the 40-59 age range, 95 are in the 60-79 age range; and 17 are in the 80-plus range
50 per cent of the cases are males and 50 per cent are females
Six deaths related to COVID -19 have been reported to date
To date, 36,860 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.
I would ask the youth in La Loche to take their personal responsibility very, very seriously ... to protect not only themselves, but to protect the elders