Two Saskatchewan residents from the Far North region who tested positive for COVID-19 have died: one is an individual in their 80s and the other is an individual in their 60s. This brings the total number of deaths in the province to 10. The total includes a death that was reported as under investigation on May 26.

As of May 27, 2020, there are three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 637. Two of the new cases are in the Regina region and one is in the Far North. Of the 637 reported cases, 68 are considered active. Ten more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 559.

There are currently four people in hospital – one is receiving inpatient care (in Regina) and three are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 637 cases in the province:

141 cases are travellers;
363 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
77 have no known exposures; and
56 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:

50 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
253 of the cases are from the Far North, 167 are from the Saskatoon area, 111 from the North, 78 from the Regina area, 16 from the South and 12 from the Central region.

93 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults. 227 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 195 are in the 40-59 age range; 104 are in the 60-79 age range; and 18 are in the 80-plus range.

51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.

10 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 45,118 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 25, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were last available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 34,492 people tested per million population. The national rate was 39,920 people tested per million population.

Public and Private Gatherings

After weeks of staying home and with the warmer weather upon us, it can be tempting to host a big family gathering. However, Saskatchewan residents should remember that the public health order limiting both public and private gatherings to no more than 10 people remains in force.

Measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 must continue:

Continue physical distancing of two metres.

You can form an extended household group with one or two families or friends. This group must remain consistent. Do not visit different families or friends every day.

People in the same extended household group without high-risk people can be closer than two metres.

The limit on gathering sizes still applies to extended household groups. You should always be aware of who you have been in contact with over the past two weeks. If you test positive for COVID-19, these are the people who will need to be contacted by public health.

If you are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of your sense of taste or smell, 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.

A Saskatchewan resident in their 50s from the Far North region who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, bringing the total number of deaths in the province to eight.  An additional death is currently under investigation.

COVID-19 fatalities must be confirmed by the medical health officer to ensure that the case meets the criteria in order to be documented in the epidemiological reporting tools, before they can be publicly reported by the ministry.

As of May 26, 2020, there are no new cases of COVID-19.  The provincial total remains at 634.

Of the 634 reported cases, 77 are considered active.  Three more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 549.

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

Of the 634 cases in the province:

• 141 cases are travellers;
• 361 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 77 have no known exposures; and
• 55 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:

• 50 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 252 of the cases are from the Far North, 167 are from the Saskatoon area, 111 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 16 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 93 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 226 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 193 are in the 40-59 age range; 104 are in the 60-79 age range; and 18 are in the 80-plus range.
• 51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.
• Eight deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 44,580 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province.  As of May 24, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were last available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 34,317 people tested per million population.  The national rate was 39,369 people tested per million population.

Principles for Protecting Health and Safety

Protecting the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients, clients and residents is a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan and for everyone involved in the Saskatchewan health care system.

On May 20, 2020, the Ministry of Health, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, SEIU-West, SGEU, HSAS, SUN and CUPE signed a joint Statement of Principles recognizing the principles for protecting the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients, clients and residents.  The agreement builds on weekly meetings where government, the SHA and union partners worked together to shape shared principles, discuss the current status of personal protective equipment (PPE), supply chain processes and keeping health care workers, patients, residents and clients safe.  The full Statement of Principles can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/information-for-health-care-providers/ppe-infection-prevention-and-control#joint-statement-principles-for-protecting-health-and-safety.

If you are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of your sense of taste or smell, 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. 

That said, did the provincial government/Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) go too far, too soon in closing the emergency department in Davidson?

Based on the low number of COVID cases in the province, the answer is yes, the government acted too quickly. Based on the reason why, there is room for cutting the province some slack. That’s up to you.

Until last Tuesday’s Davidson council meeting, I had no idea the move was made in response to a COVID case at the Pasqua Hospital in Regina. It either wasn’t well communicated or well reported. Blame the media.

The logic, as I understand it, was that the case at Pasqua could have multiplied and spread like the nasty brush fires the province has been experiencing. Part of the pandemic plan was to make ERs, such as Davidson’s, available for other uses if people had to be transferred to Davidson from other locations.

At no time, as I understand it, was Davidson going to be a location for coronavirus patients.

The decision to close the Davidson ER was made just days after the province announced the Pasqua case was isolated, and thus there was no outbreak. In other words, the province could have stayed the course, and left the Davidson ER open.

Arm River MLA Greg Brkich said his government overreacted, given the threat seemed to be over. He also said it is better to be safe than sorry.

Given the change in circumstances, he told town council talks will be held to discuss re-opening the ER. One round of those talks could have taken place already.

SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said the goal in all planning has been to keep COVID out of places like the Davidson Health Centre.

“It is important for folks to under- stand all along in our COVID response we have been very careful to protect the most vulnerable to COVID which have been our long-term care patients,” he told NewsTalk radio. “It is important for people to know if a single COVID-positive patient walks into a facility with high-risk individuals, and we don’t know they are posi- tive, it could have a very dramatic and horrific affect on those individuals, when we see 82 per cent of the deaths from COVID nationally are in long-term care residences.”

In 12 facilities affected by the change, there are a combined total of 400 resi- dents in long-term care, he said.

“With respect to these temporary changes, we are looking at what it will take to re-open these facilities or convert them back.”

He said it isn’t as simple as turning the Open sign back on. He said the long-term beds will have to be completely separated from acute-care beds and emergency rooms “to ensure nothing is coming into that facility that would put our patients at risk.”

He said that work would take place over the next few weeks.

Clearly, the government is sticking to its game plan. Overall, that’s a good thing.

On April 8, the SHA released three scenarios should the worst of COVID-19 strike the province. It is important to note the scenarios are not predictions of the number of people in Saskatchewan who will contract the virus and potentially die. The numbers are based on the experiences of other cities/countries where the virus hit them fast and hard.

The three models released, based on the number of people a person with the virus can infect, painted a picture of mass casualties. In the worst case, if an infected person infects four people and those four infect four and so on, the result in Saskatchewan would be 408,000 cases and 8,400 deaths.

We have had approximately 650 cases and we have had, sadly, seven deaths.

The province currently has 98 intensive-care beds, with 57 in use at any one time. The province has 2,433 acute-care beds, with 1,396 typically in use.

If there is a surge in the number of cases, up to 963 beds could be needed in ICU, and 3,200 for acute care, a government report said. There would be field hospitals in Saskatoon and Regina to help cope with a surge of that magnitude.

Of those 2,433 acute-care beds, two are in Davidson. Davidson’s beds are important in the event of a sudden increase in numbers, or in situations like the one at Pasqua.

“Our surge planning has not changed,” Livingstone said in the radio interview.

Clearly, the province dodged a bullet at Pasqua Hospital, and it appears as though Davidson’s ER will soon re-open because of it.

The people of Saskatchewan and those who have guided us are to be congratulated for keeping our number of cases low. We grieve for the families that have lost loved ones.

Even though we will disagree with government decisions from time to time, to stay on top of this, we can’t drift away from their plan that got us this far.

It is easy to become complacent. We can’t succumb to temptation.

-Cam Hutchinson

As of May 25, 2020, Saskatchewan has two new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 634. One new case is in the Far North, and the other is in the North.

Of the 634 reported cases, 81 are considered active. Eight more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 546.

There are currently six people in hospital – two are receiving inpatient care (one in Regina and one in the North) and four are in intensive care (all in Saskatoon).

Of the 634 cases in the province:
• 141 cases are travellers;
• 358 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 76 have no known exposures; and
• 59 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 50 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
• 252 of the cases are from the Far North, 167 are from the Saskatoon area, 111 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 16 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
• 93 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 226 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 193 are in the 40-59 age range; 104 are in the 60-79 age range; and 18 are in the 80-plus range.
• 51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.
• Seven deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

To date, 44,312 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 23, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were last available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 33,994 people tested per million population. The national rate was 38,707 people tested per million population.
 
Expanded Testing Available for Saskatchewan Workers

Saskatchewan people returning to work can now be tested for COVID-19, if they so choose. Testing is available to anyone currently working outside the home, or anyone returning to work as part of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.

For more information, call Healthline 811 or visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/testing-information.

If you are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of your sense of taste or smell, 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.