The COVID-19 testing site in Prince Albert was lined up Thursday morning. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Teena Monteleone

Cases rising

Prince Albert MHO concerned about rising COVID cases among young, unvaccinated population

Aug 27, 2021 | 3:00 PM

After weeks of relative quiet, the COVID-19 testing site in Prince Albert on 6^th Ave. E is a bustle of activity again.

Vehicles could be seen lined up, sometimes as long as 20 deep this week. Medical Health Officer (MHO) for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) based in Prince Albert, Dr. Khami Chokani said the increased COVID activity in the area has prompted the desire to get tested.

“This has been reflected by the increase we’ve been seeing in the number of community outbreaks that have been occurring, not only within our area but within the province and with people having had the opportunities to travel,” Chokani told paNOW.

Earlier this week, the SHA reported multiple COVID exposures in Prince Albert while the active case count jumped in the North Central Region to 212 on Thursday – up from 19 cases just a month ago.

Chokani said the case mix is a concern; in other words, the types of population that are being impacted. In the case of the Prince Albert area, he said it is the younger population and those who are not eligible to be vaccinated that are getting ill.

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“This has been in most cases because either those who are eligible to be vaccinated are not and so that protective blanket is not there.”

He explained out of 31 new cases reported between Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, 15 of those cases were in people who were not vaccinated, 10 were people who weren’t eligible for the vaccine and one case was a person who was only partially vaccinated. The remainder, just six out of the 31 new cases, were fully vaccinated.

Chokani said the region is facing some staffing issues so close contacts of COVID patients may not be contacted by the public health team. Instead, they’re asking positive patients to notify their own contacts to self-isolate and get tested. He suspects that may have also led to an increase in lines at the testing sites.

“We are hoping that the contacts who are told by the cases do take it seriously.”

He warned the longer people wait to get tested or vaccinated, the better chance the COVID-19 Delta variant has of taking a foothold on the community.

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Teena.Monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena