3 new coronavirus cases reported in Saskatchewan, state of emergency extended

Three new coronavirus cases were reported in Saskatchewan on Friday as the province extended its state of emergency.

One new case was reported in Saskatoon, one in the far north and one in the south region. They bring the overall number of cases in the province to 663.

The number of recoveries rose to 627 with one new recovery reported.

There are currently 23 active cases — nine each in Saskatoon and the far north, two each in Regina and the south region and one in the north region.

One person is in intensive care in Saskatoon.

Thirteen people have died in Saskatchewan due to COVID-19.

State of emergency extended

The province said although new coronavirus case numbers remain low, the state of emergency is being extended until June 24.

All public health orders remain in effect, officials said, with the size of gatherings limited to 15 people indoors and 30 people outdoors.

The exceptions are places of worship and graduation ceremonies.

Gatherings at places of worship are one-third of the seating capacity of a facility to a maximum of 150 people — whichever is less.

The limit applies to all worship services, including wedding ceremonies, celebrations of life and outdoor ceremonies. It does not apply to wedding receptions.

Outdoor graduation ceremonies can proceed with a maximum of 30 graduates per class, with the size limited to a maximum of 150 people, including graduates, guests and staff members.

All other public health measures and guidelines previously announced in the Reopening Saskatchewan plan must be followed, officials said.

Clearwater River Dene Nation precautionary health measure

The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and Saskatchewan Health Authority have issued a precautionary health measure for the Clearwater River Dene Nation.

Two people who recently attended a wake and funeral in the community have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Health officials say anyone who attended the wake on June 10 and the funeral on June 11 should immediately self-isolate and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days from the date of attendance.

The results have not yet been recorded by the Roy Romanow provincial lab, officials said, and are not yet reported in the provincial numbers.

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Coronavirus breakdown

Here is a breakdown of total Saskatchewan cases by age:

• 98 people are 19 and under
• 236 people are 20 to 39
• 200 are 40 to 59
• 111 people are 60 to 79
• 18 people are 80 and over

Males make up 48 per cent of the cases, females 52 per cent.

Officials said 399 cases are linked to community contact or mass gatherings, 146 are travel-related, 79 have no known exposure and 39 are under investigation by public health.

Saskatchewan has completed 54,508 tests so far for the virus, up 655 from Thursday.

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

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. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.

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