Saskatchewan to see new COVID-19 measures amid rising case count, care home outbreaks

With new COVID-19 cases surging and multiple care home outbreaks declared, the Saskatchewan government is expected to introduce new public health measures on Friday.

The specific steps haven’t been unveiled, though an announcement is planned for Friday at 11:30 a.m.

For seven of the past eight days, new COVID-19 case numbers have exceeded 100 per day. Since Saturday, provincial officials have identified outbreaks at two long-term care facilities, one seniors residence and one personal care home.

On Thursday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority announced family visits will no longer be allowed in Regina’s long-term and personal care homes. Provincial officials announced 111 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday with 49 hospitalizations, including 13 people receiving intensive care.

To date, 29 deaths have been reported.

“We haven’t seen a huge number of deaths in this province, but this is where it can turn and not for the better,” epidemiologist Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine told Global News.

“It’s a huge concern,” he said. “It’s particularly a concern because I feel we could have prepared for this.”

Care home operators have been given instructions on physical distancing, mask use and meal delivery during the pandemic, according to a spokesperson for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health. Private facilities have received a toolkit, “infection control support,” communication and regular inspections.

Muhajarine said the provincial government had eight months to prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients this fall. He said the province needs to create a metaphorical wall around care homes to keep the virus out, using stricter monitoring, more testing and more robust mask use.

The epidemiologist considers a full-scale lockdown a last resort, though he said it may be time.

“A hard, fast and short lockdown can break not one or two chains (of transmission), but multiple chains,” he said.

Word of new measures came after 402 Saskatchewan physicians sent a letter to Premier Scott Moe and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, calling for more action to combat COVID-19 in the province.

A good start would be mandatory masking province-wide for indoor public spaces, according to health policy consultant Dr. Dennis Kendel. The measure is already in place in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

“Which frankly makes no sense to me. Transmission is occurring in communities of every size across this province,” Kendel said in an interview.

Though 100-plus new daily cases may not seem concerning in other provinces, Kendel said people in Saskatchewan should recognize the virus is “quite out of control.”

“When you look at the per capita number, our rates are just as high as downtown Toronto,” he said. “We have to quit kidding ourselves.”

He also said if the province doesn’t enact a “very prescribed lockdown” now, one might be necessary around Christmas with more devastating consequences.

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.

1:18 Saskatchewan doctors say province losing fight with COVID-19