The government says a resident in their 50’s from the Far North region who tested positive for COVID-19 has died bringing the total number of deaths in the province to eight. However, an additional death is currently under investigation. Government officials say that COVID-19 fatalities have to meet the criteria to be ruled a novel coronavirus death and it must be confirmed by the medical health officer.
As of Tuesday there are no new cases of COVID-19. The provincial total is 634 and three more people recovered so 77 cases are active in the province. Five people are in hospital. One receiving inpatient care in Regina, one receiving inpatient care in the North region and three are in ICU in Saskatoon.
Update From The Premier and Saskatchewan Health Authority:
Along with smaller community hospital emergency departments reopening in June, a modified Legislative Assembly, taking into consideration public health guidelines, will also reopen next month. Premier Scott Moe says 10 government members and 5 opposition members will be in the Assembly at any 1 time. On the first day, June 15th, the Finance Minister will table the budget which Moe says will have a pandemic deficit, but otherwise will be similar to what was introduced in March. He hints there may be some funding for more long term care facilities.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is working on solutions for being able to bring loved ones in to visit patients in the hospital and residents in long term care, while still taking into consideration safety against transmission of the virus. CEO Scott Livingstone understands that it’s lonely and virtual visits are great, but in person is better. An expert panel has been meeting to develop guidelines about how patients can be visited, which would then be presented to the government for review and could possibly be implemented gradually, beginning in June.
Back to the numbers – of the 634 cases in the province:
141 cases are travellers;
361 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
77 have no known exposures; and
55 are under investigation by local public health.
Overall in Saskatchewan:
50 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
252 of the cases are from the Far North, 167 are from the Saskatoon area, 111 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 16 from the South and 12 from the Central region.
93 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
226 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 193 are in the 40-59 age range; 104 are in the 60-79 age range; and 18 are in the 80-plus range.
51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.
Eight deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.
To date, 44,580 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 24, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were last available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 34,317 people tested per million population. The national rate was 39,369 people tested per million population.
