Saskatchewan announces sixth COVID-19 death, 17 new cases

A sixth resident of Saskatchewan has died due to complications related to COVID-19.

In a media release Wednesday, the provincial government said a resident in their 80s from the far north had died.

It’s the second death reported in the region in three days. The province announced Monday a resident of La Loche had died.

The province also announced Wednesday there were 17 new cases of the virus — the highest single-day total since 18 cases were announced on April 5.

Eleven of the new cases are from the La Loche area, and four of five cases recorded in the north are part of an outbreak in Lloydminster. The other new case is from the Saskatoon area.

The provincial total stands at 383. The number of recoveries remained steady at 291.

Fifty-two of the 86 cases that are considered active are in the far north. There are 14 active cases in the north, which includes Lloydminster.

The new cases in that city have been linked to a cluster at the Lloydminster Hospital. Eight patients and five health-care workers have tested positive after transmission occurred in the hospital setting.

The government said the patients are being cohorted in separate units in the hospital. Non-COVID-19 patients who need to be admitted may be sent to another hospital, but the emergency department, emergency surgical and obstetrical services are still available at Lloydminster Hospital.

Other health-care workers who were in contact with one of the confirmed cases are being tested.

The number of people in hospitals in the province has increased to 10, with seven (four in Lloydminster and three in Saskatoon) receiving inpatient care and three in intensive care in Saskatoon.

The 383 cases comprise 154 community contacts, 137 travellers, 35 people with no known exposures, and 57 people who are under investigation by local public health.

The total includes 151 cases from the Saskatoon area, 75 from the Regina area, 74 from the north, 57 in the far north, 15 from the south, and 11 from the central region.

In terms of ages, 140 cases are in the 20-to-39 range, 129 are between 40 and 59, 69 are between 60 and 79, 34 involve people aged 19 or under, and 11 are aged 80 or over.

There were 474 tests done Tuesday, increasing the province’s total to date to 29,106.

Keep on the current path, but at home

It’s been about six weeks since being in a large group or close to a stranger was socially acceptable or even allowed without any public health orders.

And if slowly growing reports of people breaking the orders and angry posts to social media are any indication, people are getting sick of it.

But Premier Scott Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer, are urging people to stay the course.

“I know it’s a long time to be practising physical distancing, staying in your home unless absolutely necessary, and we want people to get outside and enjoy all that the Saskatchewan spring and summer have to offer, but we certainly want them to do it safely,” said Moe.

Some events have been held in the province recently at which people did maintain two metres of separation. But the government noted that all gatherings with more than 10 people in attendance are in violation of the public health order.

Moe said he understands people’s frustration and that some might have “cabin fever.”

“That’s why we have tried to be very methodical with our conversation around not just reopening portions and sectors of the Saskatchewan economy, but trying to reopen some of those activities, whether it be some of the provincial and regional parks in the province, whether it be some of the golf courses, whether it be just providing some access for people to get outside,” he added.

Moe said he hopes people continue to do what they have been doing: Keeping a safe distance from others, washing their hands and isolating at home.

“Practising all of the things that have, quite frankly, flattened the curve in virtually all parts of the province over the course of the last while,” he said.

Shahab agreed with Moe, and said it’s going to be a while until things are back to normal as we used to know it. He said for the next while, residents need to figure out how to live in the new normal so that Saskatchewan can keep its transmission risk low.

Shahab pointed to the rise in cases being seen in the north.

“I think the current outbreak in a health facility, Lloydminster hospital, the current outbreak in the community setting in La Loche, the unfortunate two deaths we’ve had recently in a long-term care setting, are all stark reminders that if we let our guard down, this COVID-19 comes back very quickly,” said Shahab.