The report of the Estevan Leisure Centre staying open yesterday has now been reversed.

A plan has been developed to ensure that all essential services stay intact, should provincial or national health authorities declare an outbreak of the virus in our region.

At the present day, there have not been any confirmed or presumptive cases of the virus in our area.

“We have decided to close non-essential services and facilities effective Tuesday, March 17. This was a decision that Council did not make lightly, but are aligning with the messaging from Health Canada as well as the Government of Saskatchewan.”

“We want to make sure we can maintain essential services, and one of the ways we can do this is to limit non-essential contacts in the community, including for our staff,” stated Mayor, Roy Ludwig.

Until further notice, the following facilities will be closed indefinitely for public access as of Tuesday, March 17:

Estevan Leisure Centre and all entities within the facility, including the senior centre and the Nicholson Centre

Indoor rinks and curling centres

Outdoor park buildings

City Hall- over the phone services will remain open and payments can be made through your bank or online.

The city's landfill will remain open at this time.

Staff will also be working in the facilities to ensure safety and cleanliness.

They are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to evaluate it when the facilities and programming reopen.

A review will also be done in relation to the amount of paid users of the facility and a determination of reimbursement will be decided on.

Citywide registration events have all been cancelled. Organizations and their users are being asked to register directly with said organization. Red Cross lessons are available for registration on March 31 at 5:30 p.m. Walk-in registrations will not take place.

The provincial health ministry encourages everyone to be mindful of good hand hygiene, cough etiquette and social distancing. For those who have risk factors such as old age, or underlying health issues, medical experts encourage those people to stay away from crowded areas.