Sask. records nine new cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 104

Saskatchewan has specific testing criteria when it comes to COVID-19. Only those who: Have symptoms and have travelled or have come into contact with someone who has travelled; have a serious respiratory illness; or, now, have serious COVID-19 symptoms which are getting worse will be tested.

On Friday, Dr. Saqib Shahab — the province’s chief medical health officer — didn’t say whether the province would be expanding testing. He did say that it needs to conserve testing.

He explained health-care officials need to prioritize testing for those who really need it, like health-care workers who need to know if they have COVID-19 to be able to go back to work.

“If you’re well, you don’t need testing,” Shahab said. “If you have a dry cough, irrespective of travel, stay home until your cough is gone. If you have not travelled and you have a mild fever, again, you can wait for a day or two to see if it goes away. If it’s significant or worsening, or if you are older than 65 or you have underlying risk factors, do call HealthLine.”

Many people who contract COVID-19 end up with mild symptoms and so they wouldn’t qualify for testing. Shahab was asked how, with the testing restrictions, the province can know it hasn’t missed cases of community transmission.

Comparing the numbers of positive tests along with hospitalizations there have been in Saskatchewan to the number in other jurisdictions, Shahab said he’s confident officials haven’t missed any large pockets of community transmission.

“We already know from other countries that about 80 per cent of cases in all age groups have mild illness, 20 per cent require hospitalization — especially if they’re older — and five per cent require ICU care,” he said “So based on the numbers of hospitalization, which would always be tested in hospital, we are confident that we have not missed large amounts of community transmission to date.”

Shahab pointed out people are being told to stay home if they’ve travelled or if they’re feeling sick anyway.

He said officials know the virus will transmit in the community but they want to keep that number as low as possible. That’s one of the reasons the province has mandated there be no group events with more than 10 people, according to Shahab, calling it critical to limiting transmission.

He also talked about the social distancing protocols and hand-washing that public health officials have been encouraging for weeks.

“All these behaviours are exactly to decrease further community transmission, and it’s essential because if you don’t do that we will see more cases,” he said. “And if you all do that we will be able to flatten the curve.”

Six people have been hospitalized, including two in intensive care. There are three people in hospital in Regina (including one in ICU), two in Saskatoon (with one in ICU) and one in the north.