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

Saskatchewan has surpassed the triple-digit mark in COVID-19 cases.

The provincial government announced Friday that it had recorded nine new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total in Saskatchewan to date to 104. All cases have been confirmed.

Six of the 104 cases have been deemed to be the result of community transmission and the rest are travel-related.

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.
Three people have recovered — the same number as was announced Thursday. That group comprises one person each in Saskatoon, the central area of the province and the southern region (excluding Regina).

According to the government, 48 of the 104 cases are from Saskatoon, 28 are from Regina, 13 are from the north, eight are in the central area of the province (excluding Saskatoon), four reside in the south (excluding Regina) and three are from the far north.

The total includes 49 cases between the ages of 20 and 44, 33 people between the ages of 45 and 64, 18 individuals over the age of 65, and four people 19 and under.

There have been 7,580 tests done in the province to date.

According to figures complied nationwide by The Canadian Press, there are 4,644 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada:

• Quebec: 2,021 confirmed (including 18 deaths, 1 resolved)
• Ontario: 993 confirmed (including 18 deaths, 8 resolved)
• British Columbia: 725 confirmed (including 14 deaths, 173 resolved)
• Alberta: 486 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 27 resolved)
• Saskatchewan: 104 confirmed (including 3 resolved)
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 102 confirmed
• Nova Scotia: 90 confirmed
• Manitoba: 39 confirmed (including 1 death), 11 presumptive
• New Brunswick: 45 confirmed
• Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed
• Prince Edward Island: 11 confirmed
• Yukon: 3 confirmed
• Northwest Territories: 1 confirmed
• Nunavut: No confirmed cases

Total: 4,644 (11 presumptive, 4,633 confirmed including 53 deaths, 212 resolved)

— With files from The Canadian Press