The Government of Saskatchewan has declared a provincial state of emergency, giving the government broad powers to address the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes measures like the ability to limit travel to or from a community or region of the province and directing that property or equipment be deployed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Health Officer, also made a number of new orders to reduce the risk to Saskatchewan people, prevent transmission and ensure that acute care services are preserved for residents most at risk for severe illness.

article continues below

The following measures are effective immediately:

•Public gatherings larger than 50 people are prohibited.

•All restaurants, bars and event venues must limit their seating to 50 per cent of capacity or up to a maximum of fifty people, whichever is lesser. All must be able to ensure social distance of one to two metres between customers. Retail spaces including grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations are exempted from this policy but must have processes to maintain a one to two-metre separation.

•All gyms, fitness centres, casinos and bingo halls are ordered to close until further notice.

•Residents are advised to limit any non-essential travel outside of Saskatchewan, with the exception of people who live in border communities and are commuting for work.

•Any licensed restaurants and taverns in Saskatchewan will be permitted to sell alcohol as an offsale according to SLGA regulations indefinitely.

•All crown utilities will implement bill-deferral programs allowing a zero-interest bill deferral for up to six months for Saskatchewan residents whose ability to make bill payments may be impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions.

•All Government of Saskatchewan ministries, agencies and Crown corporations will implement a phased-in work from home policy effective Monday, March 23, applicable to employees deemed non-essential. This means that any employees able to work from home should do so immediately, while providing managers a period to plan for work-force continuity.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) will be discontinuing all non-urgent/elective surgeries, procedures and diagnostics as of March 23. This action will allow the SHA the ability to redeploy nurses and other staff and ensure medical supplies and personal protective equipment are available when needed and reduce risk of further exposure to our care providers and patients.

The SHA will continue to provide services to patients who require emergent and urgent care. Cancer, urgent and emergent surgeries will continue as planned. Patients will be contacted regarding their scheduled service.

Parents with children in daycares should be preparing for further restrictions..

As of March 18, Saskatchewan has eight new, presumptive positive cases of the COVID-19 virus.

With the previously reported two confirmed cases and six presumptive positives, the province now has 16 cases. Public health officials are completing contact investigations on all cases now.

Fifteen of the sixteen cases are well enough to self-isolate at home at present; one presumptive positive case is in hospital for medical reasons not related to COVID-19.

“This is a critical time for all individuals and organizations to ensure that they are practising social distancing, staying home whenever possible and absolutely staying home when you are ill, even with mild symptoms,” Saskatchewan provincial chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said.

“We have an instance where the contact investigation has not yet demonstrated a link to travel, which could signal local transmission. We will also see more cases linked to travel within Canada. Limit all non-essential travel at this time as part of the provincial and national effort to prevent transmission.”

The most recent cases are:

An individual in their 30s was tested in Regina.

An individual in their 40s was tested following close contact with a previously announced presumptive positive case in Saskatchewan.

An individual in their 20s was tested in Saskatoon following travel from Tennessee.

An individual in their 20s was tested in Saskatoon following travel to Oregon, Nevada and Edmonton.

An individual was tested in Moose Jaw following their travel from Vancouver.

An individual was tested in Regina following their travel from Cancun, Mexico.

An individual was tested in Regina following their travel from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

An individual in their 40s was tested in Saskatoon following their travel from Vancouver.

Note that demographic information on these presumptive positive cases is still being gathered as part of public health’s ongoing contact investigations.

All persons returning from international destinations, including the U.S., are required to self-isolate for 14 days upon return to Canada. Public health officials request all individuals on Sunwing flights WG540 and WG496 of March 14 to self-isolate and actively monitor for symptoms.

Sunwing WG540 flew from Cancun to Regina and Sunwing WG496 was from Cabo San Lucas to Regina.

The COVID-19 self-assessment tool available at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 can assist people in determining whether to seek further medical direction.