Saskatchewan recorded its highest daily number of new cases of COVID-19 since November 21st when Sunday’s update revealed that there were 351 new infections of the novel coronavirus for a total of 8,239 since the pandemic was declared in the province in mid-March. With only 68 individuals reported as having recovered, the number of active cases leapt up to 3,605…115 people in hospital, which is the most in Saskatchewan since the pandemic was declared.

All 13 provincial zones recorded at least one new case of COVID-19 Sunday, 120 of them in Regina, 94 in Saskatoon and 28 in the North West zone. With four new cases still in need of residence of information, the remaining 105 new cases of the virus are spread among the other 10 zones. Sunday’s 351 new cases bumped up the seven-day average of new infections in Saskatchewan to 250. Of the 115 people in hospital, 23 are in I-C-U…also the most in the province since the pandemic was declared…13 of the I-C-U patients in Saskatoon hospitals.

Of the 8,239 cases in the province:

• 470 cases are travelers;
• 3,562 are community contacts (including mass gatherings);
• 1,768 have no known exposures; and
• 2,439 are under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan to date:

• 252 cases are healthcare workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to healthcare in all instances.
• 1,710 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.
• 2,934 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 2,201 are in the 40-59 age range; 1,087 are in the 60-79 age range; and 302 are in the 80-plus range. Confirmation of age is pending for five cases.
• 50 per cent of the cases are females and 50 per cent are males.
• 45 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

Of 8,239 confirmed cases:

• 2,478 cases are from the Saskatoon area
• 1,681 cases are from the north area (599 north west, 785 north central, 297 north east)
• 1,466 cases are from the Regina area
• 1,079 cases are from the south area (407 south west, 399 south central, 273 south east)
• 889 cases are from the far north area (591 far north west, 80 far north central, 218 far north east)
• 616 cases are from the central area (271 central west, 345 central east)
• 30 cases have pending residence information

To date, 341,236 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Saskatchewan. As of November 27, 2020 when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 218,118 people tested per million population. The national rate was 301,813 people tested per million population.

On Saturday, 3,826 COVID-19 tests were processed in Saskatchewan.

Public Health Measures

Community transmission can happen quickly and impact multiple settings.

• All individuals who have been in attendance at the Richardson Pioneer Recreation Centre in Shellbrook (Nov 9-26) or the Lakeland Curling Club in Christopher Lake (Nov 16-22) are being identified as close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases. You are required to isolate by public health order for 14 days from your last attendance. COVID-19 testing is strongly recommended and can be arranged by calling HealthLine 811.
• Another recent outbreak at a curling bonspiel resulted in positive cases on teams from several cities and towns across the province.
• A recent outbreak on a teenage hockey team resulted in nine players and one coach testing positive. Multiple teams are currently self-isolating as a result.
• Positive cases among attendees at a recent funeral has led to the potential exposure of more than 200 people.
• Recently, 17 nurses working in one hospital were required to self-isolate after being identified as close contacts to positive cases linked to sporting events and community transmission.

The extensive amount of investigation and contact tracing as a result of these events and others causes delayed notification of possible exposure resulting in further transmission.

With significant outbreaks continuing to occur among larger gatherings and sporting events, the public is urged to follow the public health orders in place and are reminded these orders are enforceable.

For more information on the current public health measures or to see the Public Health Order, visit https://www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19.

Clarification on Public Health Measures in Movie Theatres

The current Public Health Order has been amended to clarify that patrons of movie theatres can consume food and beverages during the movie, so long as:

• they are seated; and
• maintaining the proper minimum physical distancing of two metres from others, with the exception of household contacts.

The full list of Re-Open Saskatchewan COVID-19 guidelines for theatres can be found here: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/guidelines/movie-and-live-theatre-guidelines.