More cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Saskatchewan, along with more presumed positive cases in the far north.
Provincial health officials announced six confirmed new cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan May 2, including two each in Prince Albert and Lloydminster. Both communities, along with Beauval and La Loche, are currently experiencing outbreaks of the disease.
The new numbers do not include eight presumed positive tests from La Loche, which were tested locally. The new cases will be added to provincial totals once they are double checked at the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory in Regina. A GeneXpert testing unit has been moved into the community to process local tests, with presumptive positive tests being flown to Regina for confirmation. Plans are afoot to fly tests from La Loche to Regina daily during the outbreak.
Not including the eight presumptive positive tests, there have now been 77 COVID-19 cases reported in the far north.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) announced Friday an expansion to testing and contact tracing in La Loche and the neighbouring Clearwater River Dene Nation. SHA currently plans to increase testing and improve on contact tracing within the north, reallocating available staff to the community to do it. Nineteen mobile testing teams, each with two clinical staff members and a local staff member, will go door to door in La Loche, covering more than 700 homes in La Loche, Clearwater River Dene Nation and the areas of Black Point and Garson Lake.
More people within La Loche will be able to access testing when available. Any home where a case of COVID-19 had been identified will result in tests for all residents in the home and accomodation and assistance for self-isolation if needed.
The provincial government announced last week that the outbreak is thought to have originated in an Alberta oil sands camp, with the disease spreading to the community through community transmission.
A confirmed case of COVID-19 at Prince Albert's Victoria Hospital has led to an outbreak being proclaimed for the facility and the city.
A statement issued by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) urged all PBCN community members who had been at the hospital since April 21 to immediately self-isolate for two weeks, also recommending that members experiencing flu-like symptoms to call a clinic or provincial health line for more information.
In Beauval, an outbreak was officially declared on the evening of May 1 by the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and northern medical officers of health with the SHA. The declaration came after an employee at Beauval's general store tested positive for the disease April 28.
According to an SHA statement, anyone who had visited Beauval from April 12-27 to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, including trouble breathing, coughing, fever, body aches, runny nose, a sore throat, chills or a loss of smell and taste. Anyone experiencing said symptoms is asked to call HealthLine 811 or a community health care centre and self-isolate immediately.
Saskatchewan's plans to reopen businesses May 4 will continue as planned through most of the province - but not in La Loche or Lloydminster. The province has not confirmed whether or not openings will take place as scheduled in Beauval and Prince Albert.
The May 4 opening will include reopening of medical services shut down by provincial order, including dentistry and physical therapy, along with reopening of parks, campgrounds, fishing, boat launches and golf courses.
