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Speaking to reporters at Saskatoon city hall on Monday, a Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) medical health officer said the risk remains sufficiently low that “mass gatherings” can continue, and that the SHA has been in touch with Junos organizers.

“Overall, the Saskatchewan situation and the Canadian recommendation still allows us to continue to support events and gatherings … This is Juno week for us. We can still continue to have our Juno event hosted, and hosted safely,” Johnmark Opondo said.

However, Opondo said, “the Junos are in about a week, and in that one week things could change.” He said the committee was “very, very positive” after receiving the SHA’s “reasonable” recommendations about mass gatherings.

“Based on what we’ve learned from coronavirus, we’ve set certain indicators or triggers for when we need to ratchet up the response,” he added before reiterating that no cases of the virus have been detected in Saskatchewan, nor is there any evidence of local transmission.

At the same time, the coronavirus is a global epidemic that will spread “everywhere it can,” he said.

“What that means is this is going to impact us directly or indirectly. I don’t want to be the prophet of doom because I don’t have a crystal ball (but) viruses will go everywhere ultimately,” Opondo said.

Local transmission refers to a case in someone who has not travelled to an affected country or region, such as China, Iran or Italy.