Four new cases of COVID-19 in La Loche, province extends State of Emergency

Currently, there are 10 patients in hospital, with seven receiving inpatient care (four in the North and three in Saskatoon) and three in intensive care in Saskatoon.

Of the 577 cases, 139 are travellers, 297 are community contacts (including mass gatherings), 65 have no known exposures and 76 are under investigation by public health.

Across the province, 48 cases are health care workers (although not all sourced their infections from work), 206 are from the Far North, 163 are from the Saskatoon area, 106 are from the North, 75 are from the Regina area, 15 are from the South and 12 are from the Central region.

The latest COVID-19 numbers in the province as of May 13. (submitted photo/SHA)

There are 79 cases involving people aged 19 and under.

There are 204 cases in the 20 to 39 age range, 179 in the 40 to 59 age range, 98 are in the 60 to 79 age range and 17 in the 80-plus age range.

Fifty per cent of cases are females and 50 per cent are males.

Six people have died from COVID-19 in the province.

Latest COVID-19 numbers in Saskatchewan. (Aaron Schulze/northeastnow Staff)

To date, the province has performed 38,157 COVID-19 tests.

Provincial State of Emergency

The State of Emergency was extended for another two weeks. While case numbers are low, the public is reminded that the virus is still present in the province and public health orders remain in effect.

Premier Scott Moe said the declining of number of active cases across the province is good news, but Saskatchewan is at a critical moment in the fight against COVID-19.

As we head into warmer weather, Moe said people must remain vigilant.

“We are seeing a great many more people that are out and about and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s great to see, so long as everyone keeps up all of the good physical distancing measures that have been working so very well thus far,” he said.

As businesses and services reopen cautiously, gatherings of more than 10 people are not permitted.

The premier said Indigenous ceremonies will not be exempted from the 10-person gathering ban.

“The fact of the matter is this virus is very indiscriminate in how it spreads and who it impacts and affects and the public health orders that are in place they need to followed for the safety and health of everyone,” he said.

He added he will have a conversation with Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron about how ceremonies can be modified events to comply with public health orders.

“There are other religious and cultural groups that have gone to great lengths to modify their worship services, to modify their gatherings so that they may continue to occur but in a much much different fashion,” he said.

Cameron is speaking out after RCMP broke up a sundance at Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation.

A safe election

The provincial government approved changes to the Election Act Regulations to grant the chief electoral officer with the authority to take action on ensuring the Oct. 26 provincial election is conducted safely.

“We are all having to adapt to a ‘new normal’ of carrying on with our lives, but doing so in a way that reduces the spread of COVID-19,” Premier Scott Moe said. “The fall provincial election will go ahead as planned, but it might look a little different. The chief electoral officer wanted to make sure that he had the authority to make any changes to the voting process he feels are necessary to ensure a safe and successful election, so the government is strengthening his emergency powers to ensure he has that authority.”

The officer is permitted to adapt any provision of the act to reduce a health risk to the public.

After consulting with municipal organizations, the province delayed this year’s resort village elections to Aug. 29.

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panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by paNOW Staff

Four new cases of COVID-19 in La Loche, province extends State of Emergency

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