Coronavirus: Saskatoon closes CP pedestrian bridge over COVID-19 concerns

The City of Saskatoon has closed the CP pedestrian bridge to foot traffic until further notice over COVID-19 concerns.

City officials said this is due to the bridge not being wide enough to practice safe social distancing.

The bridge spans the South Saskatchewan River just north of the weir.

Officials are also warning people to avoid touching shared surfaces including pedestrian crosswalk buttons, handles and benches.

People should use their elbows or the side of their body to press crosswalk buttons, city officials said.

Crews are also out closing the 194 playground structures in the city.

The city ordered all public playgrounds closed on Wednesday to prevent people from touching playground equipment surfaces.

To date, there have been 86 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Saskatchewan, with 41 of those cases in Saskatoon.

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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers across Canada are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. In Saskatchewan, international travellers are already required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the province.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.