Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab. (Evan Radford/980 CJME)

By Jeff D’Andrea

COVID-19 rates rising

COVID-19 infection rates remain high in Northern zones

Jan 14, 2021 | 5:32 PM

COVID-19 infection rates in the northern areas of the province have continued to rise.

In the North Central 2 zone where Prince Albert is located, there have been 2,468 total cases out of a population of 46,355, a 5.32 per cent rate. When compared to Saskatoon, there is a 1.53 per cent infection rate.

There are 1,247 active cases in the three Northern zones, 626 active cases in the North Central, 458 in the North West and 163 in the North East. Despite having a bigger population than all the zones combined, there are just 765 active COVID-19 cases in Saskatoon. Regina, the province’s capital, has 580 total cases.

When asked about why the North as a whole has seen more cases during Thursday’s government COVID-19 press conference, Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab laid out three main factors as to why transmission has continued to spread.

The first was secondary transmission inside households — or people who are infected with COVID-19 spreading it to people they live with. Having a lot of people living in closed quarters makes secondary spreading even more likely.

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“If you have a larger household and are in crowded conditions, the risk of secondary transmission is higher, Shahab said. “Three people living in a five-room house, you may have no secondary transmission — 10 people living in a two-room apartment, you may have four, or five or 10 secondary cases. Seeking a system of support, if it’s hard to isolate within your house, is critical. There are agencies, social services, public health that can support you in that setting.”

Another big factor has been gatherings, specifically gathering with those from other households. Shahab said this was seen over the holidays, even when people from different households met somewhere in one-on-one situations.

The third were the sporadic outbreaks in bars and restaurants, when patrons have failed to follow protocols.

The guidelines are there, but if people insist on pulling tables together or not wearing a mask and argue with the business owners, that doesn’t help,” Shahab said. “Those kinds of situations create an increased risk of transmission.”

On Thursday, there were 39 new COVID-19 cases in the North Central, 18 in the North West and seven in the North East. In the Far North, 14 cases were reported in the Far North West, eight in the Far North Central and 29 in the Far North East.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW