Saskatchewan is seeing more changes due to COVID-19: six more cases were reported Friday afternoon, along with several manadatory closures and suspensions.
The total amount of cases within the province has now risen to 26 in total, with six more presumptive positive tests. They include four people in Regina - a person in their 20s who just got back from Cabo San Lucas, another person in their 20s who just returned from the U.S., a person in their 50s who travelled to Jordan recently and another person in their 60s with no released travel details. The two remaining cases involve two 60-somethings in Prince Albert, both of whom just returned from Arizona.
Out of the 26 cases in Saskatchewan, 24 are currently self-isolating at home. Two are in hospital, but the province says both have been "admitted for medical reasons not related to respiratory illness."
Following the results, the provincial government beefed up existing rules around public gatherings and business operation, prohibiting any public gatherings of 25 people or more in one room unless two-metre social distancing can be maintained.
All Saskatchewan bars, lounges and nightclubs will be shut down. Take-out or off-sale of alcohol and food will only take place if two0metre social distancing is possible. As of March 23, all restaurants excluding take-out, drive-thrus, delivery services and non-profit entities will be shut down, along with gyms, casinos, curling rinks, swimming pools, museums, tattoo parlours, beauticians, dentist's offices, chiropractic offices and others.
Daycares will be limited to eight children maximum unless the building can be configured to keep no more than eight children in a room.
In-person classes in primary and secondary educational facilities are cancelled and all visits to long-term care homes, personal care homes and hospitals will be restricted to family visits for compassionate reasons.
Any Saskatchewan residents who have travelled internationally will have to undergo a two-week mandatory self-isolation period, along with anybody identified by a medical health officer as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
