Saskatchewan’s far north continues to be the hot spot for new coronavirus cases in the province.
Nineteen new cases were reported on Thursday — 15 in the far north, 12 in the La Loche area — raising the province total to 531.
An employee at Northern La Loche has tested positive for the coronavirus, the store posted on Facebook.
The post said the employee last worked on May 4 and the store is closed.
All staff are being tested for the coronavirus and any members of the community who may have been in contact with the employee will be notified, Northern La Loche said.
The company said the store will be “thoroughly disinfected under the direction of Saskatchewan Public Health,” and the store will reopen for pickup and delivery services only once advised it is safe to do so by public health officials.
The provincial government was asked about sufficient food and cleaning kit supplies in La Loche during Thursday’s press conference.
“The SPSA has daily meetings with community leaders in the Northwest and will continue to work with these leaders to address emergent issues resulting from COVID-19.”
The other four new cases were reported in the north.
Active cases in the province total 196, with 138 — 70 per cent — in the far north.
Officials had expected an increase in the number of cases in La Loche and surrounding communities due to active case testing and contact tracing.
“The positive tests today were people who were exposed one or two weeks ago,” said Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer.
“The testing numbers we watch for every day show what is happening one or two weeks ago.”
Shahab said any interventions taken today will not show up for up to 14 days.
“You have to look at what can be done today and how will that have an impact into the future.
“A two-week period is a good yardstick of measuring the impact of any interventions.”
Other regions with active cases are the north (39), Saskatoon 16), and Regina (3).
Twelve people are in hospital — nine in Saskatoon and three in the north. Three people in Saskatoon and one in the north are in intensive care.
“We continue to see our inpatient hospitalizations are more likely in individuals who are older, they are more likely in males,” Shahad said.
“That is very consistent with what is being seen in the rest of the world.”
Six people in the province have died due to COVID-19.
Health officials said the outbreak at Lloydminster Hospital has stabilized and the pause on Phase 1 of the province’s reopening plan can go ahead in the city as of May 11.
The province put a pause on the first phase in Lloydminster on April 29 after a cluster of cases were reported at the hospital.
“I think that people have been taking it seriously. Some would argue not seriously enough, but the hospital was the scene of the cluster in particular. And there has been one or two other cases in the city, which is understandable from that perspective. I think that people realize that it is challenging times and we’re just working through those challenges,” Aalbers said.
“There’s certainly optimism and there’s concern. And again, I would have a per se percentage one way or another. I think the optimism is definitely higher than the concerned, but they both exist. And I think that we have to take that into account… I think people have to realize that each community is unique, but it can also change one way or another as we saw it.”
It has not yet been determined if Lloydminster will go ahead with Phase 2 of the reopening plan on May 19. The province said that will be determined by health officials and local leadership.
The Reopening Saskatchewan plan is on pause indefinitely in La Loche due to the outbreak there.
Here is a breakdown of Saskatchewan cases by age:
- 71 people are 19 and under
- 188 people are 20 to 39
- 163 are 40 to 59
- 93 people are 60 to 79
- 16 people are 80 and over
Males make up 50 per cent of the cases, females 50 per cent.
Meanwhile, 17 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 329.
Officials said 139 cases are travel-related, 231 are community contacts or linked to mass gatherings, 53 have no known exposures and 108 remain under investigation.
Saskatchewan has completed 34,361 tests so far for the virus, up 770 from Wednesday.
-With files from Thomas Piller
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.
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