'COVID-19 is everywhere': Sask. health authority to scale back alerts about potential exposures at businesses

Sask. expands mandatory mask order WATCH: Saskatchewan announced new restrictions and guidelines to attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 on Friday. Stefanie Davis reports.

Saskatoon — The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says starting Saturday, it will no longer issue alerts about potential COVID-19 exposures at businesses and other locations unleass self-isolation is immediately required.

Up until now, the SHA had been issuing routine updates, sometimes listing dozens of businesses throughout the province someone with COVID-19 was known to have visited.

"COVID-19 is everywhere in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan’s medical health officers are asking all Saskatchewan residents to self-monitor for COVID symptoms, regardless of where you live in this province," the SHA said in a news release.

"In addition, every resident is asked to ensure you and your family members stay up to date and are following all the guidelines and public health orders. This information can be found in detail at Saskatchewan.ca/COVID19."

The alerts will be issued at the discretion of the local medical health officer when all contacts cannot be notified within 48 hours, there is a resulting risk to the public or direction is needed for members of the public to immediately self-isolate and seek testing, the SHA said.

"Reasonable effort will be made to notify business and locations in advance that they will be named in these PSAs. However, this may not always be possible."