COVID-19 is spreading among Saskatoon’s inner city population including the homeless and vulnerable, and no help has been offered by the provincial government. That from a group of community agencies which banded together as the pandemic began, called the Saskatoon Inter-Agency Response to COVID-19 team.

Spokesperson Colleen Christopherson-Cote says in the last few days, there has been a marked increase in the number of positive cases in the core neighbourhood, including among staff at critical agencies serving some of the most vulnerable, and their clients. Other than a one-time payment of $124,000 split among ten shelters in March, there have been no commitments to support community agencies. Christopherson-Cote says the federal and municipal governments have stepped up and other provinces have matched the federal governments support, but not in Saskatchewan.

She explains that if staff get sick and have to self-isolate, it could mean having to shut down services, so there needs to be funding for PPE.
Another ask is for a sheltering plan for those for those who have been tested and are awaiting results for community members precariously housed or homeless, because right now is there is no place for them to go.