Overall, there are 72 cases of coronavirus in Saskatchewan as of Tuesday afternoon. There are 4 cases under investigation in Saskatchewan where it’s still not known if the transmission of the novel coronavirus is connected to international travel or community transmission. Two of these cases are in Saskatoon, 1 in Regina and 1 in central Saskatchewan. Dr. Shahab says having a smaller, more spread out population may be an advantage for this province when it comes to transmission rates.

A leaked document from the Saskatchewan Health Authority estimated a COVID-19 infection rate of 30 per cent in Saskatchewan over a short period of time would overload the health system, but Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer says that was just a starting model. Dr. Saqib Shahab says it projects what would happen if there were no plans in place to slow the transmission and that’s why they continue to stress the need to flatten the curve. The worst case scenario also estimated between 9 and 15-thousand deaths in this province.

The worst case scenario indicates Saskatoon will need around 500 respirators. Dr. Susan Shaw, with the SHA, says Saskatchewan has 91 adult ICU ventilators, 80 sub-acute ventilators and dozens in operating rooms across the province. They also have many on order which she believes are on their way.

The SHA continues to stress the importance of social distancing, staying home if you can, and self-isolating if you have travelled or have been exposed to the virus. Dr. Shahab says Canada has the advantage of being able to learn from China, Southeast Asia and Europe, when it comes to what works and what doesn’t.