All posts by Dan Senick

COVID-19 UPDATE: FOUR NEW CASES, 11 MORE RECOVERIES, 10 IN HOSPITAL

As of May 13, 2020, Saskatchewan has four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 577.

All of the new cases are in the Far North (La Loche area). One case that was previously reported in the Regina region has been reassigned to the North.

Of the 577 reported cases, 186 are considered active. Eleven more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 385.

There are currently 10 people in hospital – seven are receiving inpatient care (four in the North and three in Saskatoon) and three are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 577 cases in the province:
• 139 cases are travellers;
• 297 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 65 have no known exposures; and
• 76 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 48 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 206 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 106 from the North, 75 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 79 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 204 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 179 are in the 40-59 age range; 98 are in the 60-79 age range; and 17 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 38,157 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 10, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 29,631 people tested per million population, which is slightly below the national rate of 30,452 people tested per million population. This is due to decreased demand for testing, not a drop in testing capacity, due to the success of preventative measures and the reduction in positive cases in many areas of the province.

Provincial State of Emergency Extended, COVID-19 Still Present in Saskatchewan

The Provincial State of Emergency has been extended for a period of two weeks. Even as active case numbers are low or zero in some regions of the province, residents are reminded that COVID-19 is still present and all public health orders remain in effect. Having few or no active cases demonstrates that personal protective measures are effective and continue to be the best defence against COVID-19.

This is particularly important as businesses and services continue to cautiously re-open and the majority of infected individuals will experience very mild or no symptoms. Gatherings of more than 10 people are not permitted and physical distancing must still be practiced.

It is highly recommended that you limit contacts outside the household to the same two or three friends or households. Wash your hands frequently and contact HealthLine 811 for an assessment to determine if you should be tested – even if you’re experiencing mild symptoms.

If you are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

COVID-19 UPDATE: FIVE NEW CASES, 11 MORE RECOVERIES, 11 IN HOSPITAL

As of May 12, 2020, Saskatchewan has five new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 573.

All of the new cases are in the Far North (three in the Beauval area and two in La Loche). Of the 573 reported cases, 193 are considered active.

Eleven more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 374.

There are currently 11 people in hospital – eight are receiving inpatient care (five in the North and three in Saskatoon) and three are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 573 cases in the province:
• 139 cases are travellers;
• 295 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 64 have no known exposures; and
• 75 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 48 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 202 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 105 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 79 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 201 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 178 are in the 40-59 age range; 98 are in the 60-79 age range; and 17 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 37,695 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 10, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 29,448 people tested per million population, which is on par with the national rate of 29,770 people tested per million population.

If you are experiencing even mild symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open.

Carveth, Dorothy

(March 14, 1927 – May 4, 2020)

Dorothy Carveth (née Bloomfield) passed away peacefully on May 4, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 93. While Dorothy made her home in Toronto in recent years so that she could be closer to family support, she was a prairie girl at heart and she spent most of her life in and around Craik, Saskatchewan. There is no doubt that the heaven she is in now is big sky country.

Dorothy was predeceased by her loving husband Tom Carveth, as well as her previous spouses Richard “Dick” Rhodes and Gordon “Stub” Dallen. She was also predeceased by her parents Frank and Nellie Bloomfield (née Kemsley) and her three sisters, Freda, Gwen and Bernie. She is mourned by her son, Keith Rhodes (Debbie) of Calgary, Alberta and by her daughter Shirley Barnes (née Rhodes) (Barry Sniderman) of Toronto, Ontario. She also leaves behind
grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces who will dearly miss grandma/Auntie Dot.

As a prairie girl, Dorothy exhibited extraordinary resilience in the face of a number of difficult life experiences and had perfected the art of “making do”. She was a force to be reckoned with. She was a hard worker and she put her heart into everything that she did including her beautiful needlepoint, quilting, knitting, sewing, gardening and baking. Outside of the home, she worked for a number of years at the Craik Co-op and she was active in the local Anglican Church, as well as several other community organizations. While it was harder for Dorothy to pursue certain interests in her later years, it remained the case that church, music, flowers and family were sources of comfort and joy.

In keeping with Dorothy’s wishes, in due course there will be a private graveside service in Craik for her children and grandchildren. A gathering for local friends will be organized in Craik when
possible next year. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to a local charity of your choice. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.morleybedford.ca.

“Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality.” Emily Dickinson

COVID-19 UPDATE: FOUR NEW CASES, 14 MORE RECOVERIES, 11 IN HOSPITAL

As of May 11, 2020, Saskatchewan has four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 568.

All of the new cases are in the Far North (La Loche). Of the 568 reported cases, 199 are considered active.

Fourteen more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 363.

There are currently 11 people in hospital – eight are receiving inpatient care (five in the North and three in Saskatoon) and three are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 568 cases in the province:
• 138 cases are travellers;
• 288 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 66 have no known exposures; and
• 76 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 48 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 197 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 105 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 79 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 200 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 176 are in the 40-59 age range; 96 are in the 60-79 age range; and 17 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 37,439 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 9, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 29,029 people tested per million population, which is on par with the national rate of 29,086 people tested per million population.

Lloydminster to Proceed to Phase 2 of Re-Open Saskatchewan on May 19

As the outbreak in the Lloydminster hospital continues to remain stable, the city of Lloydminster may proceed with Phase 2 of the re-opening, according to the schedule and stipulations under the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan.
All workplaces must be prepared to operate safely for customers and their employees, and take the proper preventative measures.

If you are experiencing even mild symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at www.saskatchewan.ca/re-open

COVID-19 UPDATE: 11 NEW CASES, NINE MORE RECOVERIES, 12 IN HOSPITAL

As of May 10, 2020, Saskatchewan has 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 564.

Nine of the new cases are in the Far North (three in the La Loche area) and two are in the North.

Of the 564 reported cases, 209 are considered active. Nine more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 349.

There are currently 12 people in hospital – eight are receiving inpatient care (five in the North and three in Saskatoon) and four are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 564 cases in the province:
• 138 cases are travellers;
• 286 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);
• 61 have no known exposures; and
• 79 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 48 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 193 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 105 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 77 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 199 cases are in the 20-39 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 females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 36,860 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 8, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 28,484 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 28,404 people tested per million population.

If you are experiencing even mild symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/re-open-saskatchewan.

COVID-19 UPDATE: NINE NEW CASES, FIVE MORE RECOVERIES, 15 IN HOSPITAL

As of May 9, 2020, Saskatchewan has nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 553.

Five of the cases are in the Far North, three are in the North and one is in the Central region.

Of the 553 reported cases, 207 are considered active. Five more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 340.

There are currently 15 people in hospital – 10 are receiving inpatient care (six in the North and four in Saskatoon) and five are in intensive care (four in Saskatoon and one in the North).

Of the 553 cases in the province:
• 138 cases are travellers;
• 273 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);
• 61 have no known exposures; and
• 81 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 46 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 184 of the cases are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 103 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 74 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 196 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 173 are in the 40-59 age range; 94 are in the 60-79 age range; and 16 are in the 80-plus range.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 36,117 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 6, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 27,774 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 27,457 people tested per million population.

La Loche Liquor Sales Closed

On May 7, La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre notified Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr that La Loche Council had passed a resolution recommending the full closure of all beverage alcohol related sales, distribution and consumption sites and uses in the Northern Village of La Loche, effective May 9th, 2020.

After further consultation with community and Indigenous leaders, the government notified leaders that the closure of liquor retailers would proceed as recommended. Effective today (May 9), the SLGA retail store and private off-sale in La Loche will be closed for two weeks.

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.

If you are experiencing even mild symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca.

Find the most up-to-date version of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/re-open-saskatchewan.