COVID-19 in Saskatchewan: The Week in Review, May 1

Saskatchewan is just days away from beginning to reopen the economy, and getting people back to work!

But not everyone will get to join the party just yet.

There’s a lot of news that comes at you every week during this pandemic, but 980 CJME has you covered. Here’s where we collect all the key information you need to know, and the stories to put a smile on your face going into the weekend.

Everyone is talking about how Saskatchewan will kick off Phase 1 of the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan on Monday.

But wait… right after that, the number of COVID-19 cases started to accelerate again, thanks to outbreaks in La Loche and Lloydminster.  And there were two more deaths, both in the north.

It’s a different story in the rest of Saskatchewan

After seven weeks of lockdown Saskatchewan’s giving spirit is still showing. From free food for those in need, to athletes scrubbing up and heading to the front lines of the virus battle, people are stepping up to do their part to keep the province going.

And we got some interesting perspective on living in challenging times, at a 100^th birthday party for a woman who’s experienced war, drought, depression and more in her life in Saskatchewan.

Let’s get started:

The numbers

The flattened curve got some spring back….with new cases in the double-digits on some days in Saskatchewan. The higher numbers were mostly because of an accelerating outbreak in La Loche and its surrounding communities, where there are now over 50 cases of COVID-19.

That has leaders calling for support, while the provincial government is helping enforce a travel lockdown to the northern half of Saskatchewan.

Two La Loche elders, including 83-year-old Joseph Pierre Sylvester, died of the virus.

An outbreak was also declared at Lloydminster’s hospital, where at least 13 cases of COVID-19 have been found. Those patients and healthcare workers are now being confined to their own separate wing of the hospital.

There’s another outbreak that was announced Friday at Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital after a patient tested positive there. And we could be hearing about a declared outbreak in Beauval as soon as this weekend, after a warning for people who went to that northern town’s general store.

It’s a different story outside of those two areas. Only 21 people in the rest of Saskatchewan have COVID 19. That means about 76 per cent of the people who have had COVID-19 have recovered so far.

Numbers for the week:

• 415 total cases
• 297 recoveries
• 6 deaths
• 112 active cases
• 7 in-patient hospital cases
• 3 people in ICU

Reopening (part) of Saskatchewan

This week’s setback isn’t stopping the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan that’s set to start rolling out on Monday.

But it does mean La Loche and Lloydminster won’t be able to start. Premier Scott Moe says the two communities will have to hang back until COVID-19 cases slow down there.

Dentists, optometrists, chiropractors and physical therapists in the rest of the province will be able to open their doors again — with restrictions. Fishing and boat launches will also reopen in provincial parks, and you can jump online to book your campsite for June 1 and beyond.

On May 15, golf courses will open with three tee times per hour.

Meanwhile hair salons and retail stores are still preparing to possibly open on May 19, when Phase 2 of the plan is set to kick in. But they are worried about whether they’ll have the masks and other protective equipment they need to make it all work.

The key number to keep an eye on over the next few months? What health officials call the “Rt”: the effective reproductive number of the virus. Essentially, it’s the number that shows how many people the average person with COVID-19 is infecting. They figure the number out by tracking who each person came in contact with, and how many other infections that led to.

The goal is to keep that number under *one*. As of Tuesday, it was at 0.7. Meaning someone with COVID-19 is on average infecting less than one other person. That’s a good thing.

It’s not clear how high that number would have to go before the province considered shutting everything down again.

Good news and helping hands

Enough of the hard numbers! There are positive stories that had us smiling as well.

Senior homes may be locked down right now, but a University of Saskatchewan professor is doing her part to make sure our grandmas and grandpas aren’t feeling lonely. Megan O’Connell is helping seniors learn how to use video conferencing tech, and set up groups so they can zoom about  gardening, art or connect with family.

Some families are taking their pandemic time to reconnect with old memories. That includes going through those old photos and creating new scrapbooks!

Speaking of staying connected, it’s a tough time for Saskatchewan’s Muslims as they can’t gather during their holy month of Ramadan. But thanks to tech, mosques are finding a way to make sure everyone is still able to pray together.

Another religious group in Saskatoon is making sure people aren’t going hungry during the pandemic. The Sikh Temple is delivering between 40 to 50 meals a day to families who are struggling.

If you find yourself in a Regina hospital and need something knocked loose, ask for Adrienne Zuck. She’s used to throwing tackles as a defensive lineman for the Regina Riot, but now Zuck is stepping into the frontlines as a registered nurse.

Nurses like Zuck might find themselves stressed out in these tense times. That’s where psychologists are stepping in to help. While it usually costs an arm and a leg to lay on a couch and go through your mental health concerns, a group of experts nationwide is making sure nurses and other frontline healthcare workers can access help for free.

Other essential workers are also getting a leg up in keeping their workplaces clean. A new Regina company, which was set to have its grand opening right when COVID-19 blew up, is offering free sanitizing for essential workplaces.

With warm weather taking hold there’s good news for Saskatoon: the city is looking at re-opening Cranberry Flats, along the South Saskatchewan River. As long as everyone keeps their physical distancing up, people should get to enjoy the nature area.

Lastly, we can all use advice sometimes. Who better to take advice from than someone who’s been through it all? Kay Shropshire celebrated her 100th birthday this week, and provided perspective as someone who made it through the Great Depression and the Second World War.

For all of our good news stories, click here!

Cancellations and general bummers

What is there left to be cancelled, you may ask? There aren’t many summer events left after last week’s version of the festival Red Wedding. Some, like Agribition, are still planning to run though.

But another farm show, in fact THE farm show, was postponed this week.

Regina is following Saskatoon on not allowing yard sales, so you’ll have to hang on to all that junk you found during your COVID-19 cleaning a bit longer.

We’ll all be hanging out in our backyards more this summer…but we might have some uninvited guests.  Regina is cutting back its mosquito control program to save money, while Saskatoon is delaying theirs.

Saskatoon city streets will be grittier for longer, and there might be the occasional dust devil whipping up. The street sweeping program is going through to July because of COVID-19.

Why all the changes? Cities like Saskatoon and Regina are facing big deficits because of the virus shutdown. And they’re not allowed to do that.

We already know this pesky virus is preventing us from watching live sports, but now it could end up claiming our sports altogether! The CFL is asking for up to $150 million from the federal government, saying if they don’t get it the SURVIVAL OF THE LEAGUE could be at stake. Rider nation will be watching this one closely.

Oh, and did you get a Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) cheque? Are you going back to work thanks to the feds helping your employer pay your wage? Accountants are saying you need to be very careful that you’re not getting money from both programs, since you’d have to pay it back if you’re double-dipping.

Week’s end smile

A deer took a ride on an ice floe down the North Saskatchewan River during the ice breakup last weekend. It was stuck right in the middle, and things looked dire.

But here’s the smile! It looks like the deer somehow made its way to the riverbank and got out okay.

We don’t know about you, but we’re visualizing the deer jumping dramatically from floe to floe, Hollywood style.