Town turns curling rink into test hub

For 11 months, his town was lucky enough to avoid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, John Gunderson says.

The Watrous mayor said he was only ever aware of a single case there, until this week.

Now, the town of roughly 2,000 finds itself on high alert after the Saskatchewan Health Authority warned of increased transmission in the community.

“It's been unexpected, that's for certain,” Gunderson said.

The town closed its library and other public facilities on Monday. Gunderson said some businesses have voluntarily shut their doors, and the SHA converted the local curling rink into a drive-thru testing centre.

Gunderson estimated as many as 600 people were lined up for testing on Tuesday.

It's a sign that people in his community are taking this seriously, he said. “I was really happy to see the long lineup. I was in it for two hours yesterday,” added, noting that he sought testing as a precaution. “I think that's probably a sign that people are nervous about it,” he added.

Gunderson said he doesn't know how many people in Watrous have actually tested positive — that's information the SHA usually does not share with individual municipalities or communities. It issued an advisory earlier this week, warning the public of an increase in cases in Watrous and announcing visiting restrictions at Manitou Lodge, a long-term care home connected to the local hospital.

Horizon School Division spokesman Lance Hiltz said on Tuesday that cases have also been identified in the local elementary and high schools.

“Although there is more than one case of COVID-19 at each school in Watrous, an outbreak is only declared if transmission has occurred within the school. This has not been determined to be the case, at this time,” Hiltz wrote in an email.

Hiltz said students in one classroom at Winston High School and two at Watrous Elementary School were learning from home as a result, adding that the division's director of education had worked with health officials to establish the testing centre.

SHA spokesman Doug Dahl said the testing centre was set up “to support testing and help ease community anxiety over the sudden increase in numbers,” a measure the SHA has taken in other communities where case numbers are rising.

Gunderson said he doesn't ever like to see businesses close their doors, but he believes people in his community are doing the right thing and making sacrifices to keep the virus in check.

Watrous is 105 kilometres east of Saskatoon.