The coronavirus. (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota/Twitter)

By paNOW Staff

COVID-19

Twenty new cases of COVID-19, 18 in Far North

May 5, 2020 | 1:58 PM

There are 20 new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan all in the northern part of the province.

Eighteen of the new confirmed COVID-19 cases are in the Far North (La Loche area), with two in the North. One of the cases in the North is in Prince Albert, but is not associated with the outbreak at the Victoria Hospital which remains at one person.

According to a media release from the Government of Saskatchewan, as of May 5, 2020, the 20 new confirmed cases brings the provincial total to 487. Of those, 171 are considered active and three more people have recovered, bringing that provincial total to 310.

There are currently 13 people in hospital – nine are receiving inpatient care (two in the North and seven in Saskatoon) and four are in intensive care (three in Saskatoon and one in the North).

Updated COVID-19 numbers in Saskatchewan. (Government of Saskatchewan)

Health alerts

Sask NDP sound alarm over TB cases in northern Saskatchewan

12h ago

PYSANKY EASTER EGGS

"It's special to pass this on": Saskatchewan family celebrates Ukrainian Easter heritage

12h ago

BUSTED

Man charged after fleeing from RCMP on dirtbike in Onion Lake

13h ago

Of the 487 cases in the province:

• 138 cases are travellers;

• 184 are community contacts (mass gatherings included);

• 41 have no known exposures; and

• 124 are under investigation by local public health.

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.

• 162 of the cases are from the Saskatoon area, 128 from the Far North, 95 from the North, 76 from the Regina area, 15 from the South and 11 from the Central region.

• 58 cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults.

• 174 cases are in the 20-39 age range; 153 are in the 40-59 age range; 87 are in the 60-79 age range; and 15 are in the 80-plus range.

• 51 per cent of the cases are females and 49 per cent are males.

• Six deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date.

Tracking the curve: the latest numbers of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

Speaking on a media conference call Tuesday afternoon Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone said five of the 18 new cases for the Far North were in La Loche, while the rest were in communities throughout the North West. He said these increases were not unexpected.

“Our aggressive contact tracing and testing is helping us identify and isolate people who are COVID-positive and may be at risk. So while we must be cautious we also know our measures are doing what they are intended to do.”

There are no new COVID-19 cases related to outbreaks at hospitals in Lloydminster and Prince Albert. The number of cases related to the outbreak declared at the P.A. Hospital on Thursday remains at one.

Livingstone said he can’t say right now whether either hospital will be included in Phase 1 of the provincial plan to resume Health Services. But he noted by the time Phase 1 starts on May 19th, many staff who are currently in isolation because they were contacts of positive cases will be cleared to go back to work.

“Right now, as you know, there is some diverted care in both those facilities but we hope as the outbreak appears to be under control and with intense monitoring at both those sites, in two weeks we’ll know better what the answer to that question is.”

To date, 32,921 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of May 3, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 25,689 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 24,460 people tested per million population.

If you are experiencing fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

Editor’s note: this article was amended to include the afternoon media conference at which further details were offered by SHA.

–

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow