Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab. (Lisa Schick/CKOM News Staff)

By paNOW Staff

Flatten the curve

Four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, 81 recoveries

Apr 6, 2020 | 1:51 PM

There are four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, bringing the total patient number to 253. There are 169 active cases, which may be overestimated based on recovery information available.

Currently there are four patients in hospital. Two are receiving inpatient care in Saskatoon while two patients remain in intensive care — one in Regina and one in Saskatoon.

Fourteen more people have recovered from the virus bringing the recovery total to 81.

While Premier Scott said it was far too early to say the numbers were evidence of any sort of trend, they were encouraging.

“This means that for the first time since the arrival of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan the number of new recoveries has exceeded the number of new confirmed cases,” he said.

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Latest numbers from April 6. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

Of the 253 cases, 112 were travellers, 77 were community contacts (including mass gatherings), 14 have no known exposures and 50 remain under investigation by local public health.

Overall in Saskatchewan 127 cases are from the Saskatoon area, 51 are from the Regina area, 47 are from the North, 15 are from the South, 10 are from the central region and three are from the Far North.

Eleven cases involve people aged 19 and under, and the remainder are adults.

One-hundred and ten cases are in the 20 to 44 age range, 89 are in the 45 to 64 age range, and 43 are in the 65-plus age range.

Fifty-three per cent of cases are males and 47 per cent are females. Three deaths have been reported to date.

To date, 14,178 COVID-19 cases have been performed in the province, making Saskatchewan the province with the second highest rate of testing per capita in the country.

Asked where the province is in terms of acquiring on-site test kits for Northern and remote communities, Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saquib Shahab said he would have an update at a later date.

But he said he was happy with the work of the province’s over 30 testing sites.

“I think we need to be very proud of our partners in the SHA and the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory, they have really ramped up testing capacity,” he said.

On-site test kits allow for quicker results in remote communities. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty highlighted their importance in an interview with paNOW on Friday.

Preventing transmission

The province says there continues to be a risk of local transmission in essential workplaces such as group living homes, industrial settings and grocery stores. All employers and employees are reminded to practice prevention methods:

• Actively monitor for symptoms. At the first sign of cough, immediately self-isolate for 14 days.
• Practice physical distancing in the workplace, including those workplaces that are outdoors. Maintain a two-metre separation between individuals.
• Wash your hands often.
• Cough/sneeze into your elbow or tissue and wash your hands immediately.

Workplaces are urged to keep occupational health and safety guidelines up to date.

Grocery shopping

Take precautions when you go out for supplies. To reduce crowding, only one member of the household should go shopping, no more than once a week. Make a list ahead of time to stay efficient and avoid browsing.

—

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow