Update
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is expanding the dates attached to a possible COVID-19 exposure at the SARCAN plant in Turtleford.
The SHA is advising anyone who visited the location between Aug. 4 and Aug. 14 to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days from the last date they visited the store.
The original alert was for Aug. 4 to Aug. 6. The update comes after more information was gathered through a case investigation.
According to the SHA, the risk of transmission is still low.
The original story continues below:
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has issued a second COVID-19 exposure alert for a business in Turtleford.
The SHA is warning residents of possible transmission of the novel coronavirus at the SARCAN plant at 200 3rd Ave. S. between Aug. 4 and Aug. 6.
According to SARCAN, one of its employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“The employee is now in self-isolation, following the guidance provided to them by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and receiving the care and treatment they require for their recovery,” a spokesperson for SARCAN said in a statement.
SARCAN says the employee last worked at the facility on Aug. 6.
The employee is presumed to have been symptomatic from Aug. 4 to 6, says SARCAN.
The SARCAN facility in Turtleford has been closed. SARCAN says it will be reopened when it is safe to do so following guidance from the SHA.
Although the risk of transmission is low, the health authority is urging anyone who visited the location during those dates to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for two weeks from the last time they were there and to practice physical distancing.
The SHA says anyone experiencing symptoms should self-isolate.
It also says officials begin contact-tracing when someone is diagnosed with COVID-19 and will issue public alerts if they’re not certain they’ve identified everyone who was in close contact.
The SHA previously issued an exposure alert for anyone who visited the Turtleford Co-op grocery store on or after July 28.
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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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