The government of Saskatchewan issued warnings earlier this week after an outbreak was declared in the wake of Full Gospel Outreach events in Prince Albert between September 14 and October 4th, and this weekend a $14,000 fine was issued to a corporation for non-compliance with the Public Health Act Order and Guidelines for Places of Worship.

Sunday’s update from the Government of Saskatchewan indicates 12 of the 24 new cases are linked to the Gospel Outreach outbreak in Prince Albert. Another death has been recorded bringing the death toll in Saskatchewan from COVID-19 to 25. The total number of cases to date in Saskatchewan is 2,092. The new cases are located in the Far North West (1), Far North East (2), North West (3), North Central (5), Saskatoon (1), South East (1) and Regina (11) zones. There have been 58 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan this weekend.

The majority of the new Regina cases appear to be linked to a single apartment complex. Increasing case numbers and a rise in community transmission have sparked a call from Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer for renewed vigilance and increased caution. Dr. Saqib Shahab is reiterating the strong recommendation that masks be worn in all indoor public locations where people outside of your immediate or extended household are present and physical distancing is not possible or is unpredictable.

Dr. Saqib Shahab says, “The best practices we recommend proved effective as we flattened the curve in the first weeks of the pandemic. Stay home if you experience even mild symptoms. Maintain physical distancing of two metres. Wear a mask when you may be unable to maintain this distance, particularly in indoor spaces, or as required in workplaces or schools. We are now more than seven months into this pandemic event. All residents should be familiar with these practices and all residents need to follow them at all times.”

There are 179 cases of novel Coronavirus considered active. Six people are in hospital. Four people are receiving inpatient care; three in Saskatoon and one in Regina. Two people are in intensive care; one in Regina and one in Saskatoon.

Of the 2,092 cases in the province to date:

312 cases are travellers;
1,036 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
599 have no known exposures; and
145 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan to date:

77 cases are healthcare workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to healthcare in all instances.
358 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
700 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 632 are in the 40-59 age range; 334 are in the 60-79 age range; and 68 are in the 80-plus range.
51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.
25 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.
There are:
463 cases are from the south area (225 south west, 207 south central, 31 south east)
429 cases are from the Saskatoon area
374 cases are from the far north area (355 far north west, 0 far north central, 19 far north east)
306 cases are from the central area (182 central west, 124 central east)
306 cases are from the north area (137 north west, 99 north central, 70 north east)
214 cases are from the Regina area

To date, 214,369 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan. As of October 8, 2020 when other provincial and national numbers are available from Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 147,073 people tested per million population. The national rate was 214,103 people tested per million population.

Yesterday, 3,049 COVID-19 tests were performed in Saskatchewan – the highest daily number of tests reported to date.

Failure to Abide by Public Health Orders May Result in Fines

In Saskatchewan and across the country, public health authorities are seeing increasing transmission rates as a result of contravention of public health orders and guidelines, particularly as a result of public and private gatherings. There can be very serious consequences for not following Public Health Orders, including fines in cases where negligence or misconduct have been found. Fines may be $2,000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations, plus a victim surcharge.

Thanksgiving, Gatherings and Travel

Saskatchewan residents are reminded over Thanksgiving weekend that restrictions on gathering sizes remain in place. Public health orders state that indoor and outdoor gatherings may have a maximum of 30 people, as long as there is enough space to maintain a two metre separation between individuals who are not in the same household or extended household. If there isn’t enough space to maintain distancing, fewer people should be invited. Shared meals between non-household members are discouraged, as is non-essential or recreational travel.

Further guidance on Thanksgiving is available here.