There are now 1,731 cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan after eight new cases were reported Monday by health authorities. There are six cases in Saskatoon, one in the South West and one in the South Central zones. Three cases from the past week have been removed from the provincial total after one case was a false positive and two cases have been determined to be individuals from out of province. But Saskatchewan is back over the 100 mark for active cases of novel coronavirus; 103 to be exact.

Of the 1,731 cases in the province to date:

259 cases are travellers;

855 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);

518 have no known exposures; and

99 are under investigation by local public health

Overall in Saskatchewan to date:

69 cases are healthcare workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to healthcare in all instances.

284 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.

568 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 529 are in the 40-59 age range; 292 are in the 60-79 age range; and 58 are in the 80-plus range.

51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.

24 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

There are:

o 431 cases from the south area (221 south west, 197 south central, 13 south east)

o 357 cases from the far north area (349 far north west, 8 far north east)

o 307 cases from the Saskatoon area

o 270 cases from the north area (131 north west, 73 north central, 66 north east)

o 227 cases from the central area (168 central west, 59 central east)

o 139 cases from the Regina area

o One case location is pending

To date, 160,275 COVID19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan. As of September 12, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 113,708 people tested per million population. The national rate was 163,729 people tested per million population.

Yesterday, 1,819 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan.

Gathering Sizes

Saskatchewan residents are reminded that indoor and outdoor gatherings may have a maximum of 30 people, provided there is enough space to maintain a two metre separation between individuals who are not in the same household.

Gathering sizes should be smaller if there isn’t enough space to maintain a physical distance of two metres at all times.

For food service at gatherings, potlucks are discouraged and there should be no shared platters of food or shared buffet service. If food is being served, it should be plated. One person should handle the preparation of food and drink following proper food safety protocols. This reduces the number of people who touch serving utensils or drink containers.

Remember to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including:

Staying home if you are sick.

Practising proper cough and sneezing etiquette (into a tissue or the bend of your elbow).

Washing your hands often with soap and water; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Maintaining physical distancing.

Wearing a mask, especially when indoors in public places or with persons not in your extended household bubble.

COVID-19 Testing

COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811, your physician or nurse practitioner if you are experiencing worsening symptoms. If you require urgent care, call 911.

Priority testing is available for those who are symptomatic, health care providers, teachers and school staff.

If you are asymptomatic and planning to travel but require a test, please allow a minimum of seven days from the date of your test through to notification of results. You can also view your results directly on MySaskHealthRecord.

Drive-through testing sites that do not require a referral are operating in Regina and Saskatoon. This is in addition to the testing and assessment centres currently open.

Regina – International Trade Centre at Evraz Place – Hall C, 1700 Elphinstone Street

Tuesdays and Thursdays – 4 pm – 8 pm

Saturdays – 8 am – 4 pm

Saskatoon – 3630 Thatcher Avenue

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – 12 pm – 7:15 pm

Saturdays and Sundays – 8:30 am – 4 pm

A valid Saskatchewan Health Card will be required for each person getting tested. A Canadian Armed Forces number or Interim Federal Health identification will also be accepted. You will be required to wear a mask during the registration process.

The drive-thru sites will be first come, first served so there may be some wait times. You must wait in your vehicle.

There are no public washrooms available at these sites.