As of May 4, 2020, Saskatchewan has 34 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 467. Twenty-nine of the new cases are in the Far North (La Loche and surrounding area), four of the new cases are in the North and one is in the Saskatoon area.
Of the 467 reported cases, 154 are considered active. Two more people have recovered, bringing the provincial total to 307.
There are currently 11 people in hospital; seven are receiving inpatient care (two in the North region and five in Saskatoon) and four are in intensive care (three in Saskatoon and one in the North).
Overall in Saskatchewan:
• 43 cases are health care workers; however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.
To date, 32,334 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 2, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 25,116 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 23,770 people tested per million population.
It allows public access to previously restricted medical services and provides specific guidelines related to parks and campgrounds, boat launches, fishing and golf courses.
A Public Health Order (https://www.saskatchewan.ca/-/media/files/coronavirus/public-health-measures/public-health-orders/order-may-3-2020-re-open-sk.pdf) is in place for Phase 1 of the plan.
Residents should remember that measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 must continue:
The staged lifting of restrictions does not apply to the communities of La Loche and Lloydminster, which are currently managing outbreaks of COVID-19 cases.
With the ongoing pandemic, many families and individuals are feeling additional strain. The Government of Canada has launched a new portal dedicated to mental wellness, Wellness Together Canada (https://ca.portal.gs/) to help provide support.
Additional support in Saskatchewan during this difficult time can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/mental-health-and-covid-19#mental-health.