21 COVID-19 cases now linked to single gathering in Saskatoon

A nurse gets a swab ready at a temporary COVID-19 test clinic in Montreal, on May 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Saskatoon — According to the Saskatchewan government's COVID-19 update on Wednesday, 21 cases of the disease have now been linked to a Sept. 13 gathering in Saskatoon.

The number accounts for nearly half of the 47 active cases in the Saskatoon area as of Wednesday.

Health officials believe that there may be more cases related to the gathering.

"Contact tracing efforts are underway, and it is likely that other cases will be identified before this chain of transmission is resolved," the province said in the release.

There were 107 active cases in Saskatchewan as of Wednesday, according to the province.

Joseph Blondeau, head of clinical microbiology at Royal University Hospital, said complacency with regards to the rules of distancing “is a huge concern going forward.”

If everyone continues to do their part, it will help manage COVID-19, he said.

“As we’ve seen in some of the outbreak scenarios that we’ve had, clearly those messages break down and people do not pay attention to them and they put themselves in a situation where transmission of virus will occur."