Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Saskatchewan rose to 421 on Saturday after the province reported six new cases.
Four of the new cases are in the north — two in Lloydminster and two in Prince Albert. Both communities are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks after cases were confirmed at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert and the Lloydminster Hospital earlier this week.
The two other cases reported are in Regina and Saskatoon.
The province is also reporting eight presumptive positive cases in La Loche. These cases have yet to be confirmed by the province’s lab, so they are not included in the provincial total.
La Loche is dealing with its own outbreak of COVID-19, which was declared on April 17. On Friday, the Northern Village of La Loche confirmed there have been 80 cases in their area which include the Clearwater River Dene Nation.
A fourth outbreak in Beauval is being monitored by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. A contact tracing investigation is underway. The Beauval outbreak is linked to the Beauval General Store after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus on April 28.
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Saskatchewan is reporting five more recoveries, bringing the provincial total to 302. There are 113 active cases in the province, the most being in the far north (66 cases) followed by the north (27 cases), then Saskatoon (13 cases) and Regina (seven cases). There are no active cases in southern or central Saskatchewan.
There are 12 people in hospital, which is an increase from the 10 reported on Friday. Ten are receiving inpatient care (five in northern Saskatchewan and five in Saskatoon), while two others are in the ICU in Saskatoon.
Of the total cases, 138 are linked to travellers, 170 are community contacts, 39 have no known exposure, while 74 cases remain under investigation.
Additionally, there are 42 cases that are health-care workers.
Six people have died from COVID-19.
To date, the province has performed 30,845 COVID-19 tests. The province says Saskatchewan’s testing rate per capita exceeds the national rate.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers 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. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
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.
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