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A Saskatchewan resident in their 80s from the far north region has died from complications related to COVID-19. There are now six deaths in the province as a result of being infected with the virus.

Saskatchewan also has 17 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, bringing the provincial total to 383. Eleven of the new cases are from the far north (La Loche), five are from the north region (four in Lloydminster) and one is from the Saskatoon area.

Eighty-six of the cases, or 22 per cent, are considered active.  Recoveries remain at 291.

Approximately 76 per cent of the people who have had COVID-19 in Saskatchewan have recovered.

Currently, there are 10 people in hospital – seven are receiving inpatient care, including four in Lloydminster and three in Saskatoon, while three are in intensive care in Saskatoon.

Of the 383 cases in the province, 137 cases are travellers, 154 are community contacts (mass gatherings included), 35 have no known exposures and 57 are under investigation by local public health.

The number of infections in the south region remains at 15. There are 151 cases from the Saskatoon area, 75 from the Regina area, 74 from the north, 57 from the far north and 11 from the central region.

Overall in Saskatchewan, 38 of the cases are health care workers, however, the source of the infections may not be related to health care in all instances.

Thirty-four cases involve people 19 years of age and under, while the remainder are adults. A total of 140 cases are in the 20-39 age range, 129 are in the 40-59 age range, 69 are in the 60-79 age range and 11 are in the 80-plus range.

Fifty per cent of the cases are males and 50 per cent are females.

To date, 29,106 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province. As of April 27, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 22,917 people tested per million population, which exceeds the national rate of 19,709 people tested per million population.

The new COVID-19 cases in Lloydminster have been linked to a cluster based in the Lloydminster Hospital. Thirteen cases have been identified, including five health care workers and eight patients, and transmission has occurred in the hospital setting.

As of April 292020, the patients are being co-horted in separate units in Lloydminster Hospital.  COVID-19 patients will still be admitted to Lloydminster Hospital. Non-COVID-19 patients requiring admission may be diverted to another hospital. Key emergency department, emergency surgical and obstetrical services remain available at Lloydminster.

That is subject to change based on the ongoing risk assessment by public health. All health care workers who have been identified as close contacts with a confirmed case are being tested as the contact investigation continues.

The province has also revealed that a couple of mass-gathering events were recently held in Saskatchewan where organizers mistakenly believed that gatherings were allowed as long as attendees maintained two metres of separation. However, these types of group events are not allowed – whether or not people practise physical distancing. Any gatherings that exceed 10 people are in violation of the current public health order.

Saskatchewan residents must continue to take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This includes limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people – inside and outside – within an extended household group only and maintaining a minimum distance of two metres between people.

With extreme caution and under the following conditions, one or two close families may form an extended household group:

Your families or friends must remain consistent.  Do not visit different families or friends every day.

If you are going to create an extended household group, consider if any member of the group has chronic health conditions that would put them at greater risk, or if they are in close contact with someone who could be vulnerable.

Gatherings must follow the public health order and be no more than 10 people.

Stay home if you are sick.

Maintain physical distancing by keeping two-metres apart.

You should always be aware of who you have been in contact with over the past two weeks.  These are the people who would need to be contacted by public health if you were to test positive for COVID-19.

If you are experiencing fever, cough or shortness of breath, contact HealthLine 811 or your family physician for advice on whether you should be tested for COVID-19. You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.

General public inquiries may be directed to [email protected].