'I want to be part of the solution': City of Martensville, local businesses take extra measures as COVID-19 cases rise

More COVID-19 cases in Martensville Watch: People in Martensville are worried about the spread of COVID-19. CTV Saskatoon's Nicole Di Donato reports.

SASKATOON — People in Martensville are worried about the spread of COVID-19 as cases continue to rise.

“It shows how fast things can change and I think it also shows that no community is outside of this pandemic,” said Dillon Shewchuk, community economic development manager for the City of Martensville.

It is unknown how many cases are linked to the city of roughly 10,000 people as those cases are lumped in with Saskatoon’s in the province’s daily COVID-19 updates.

However, multiple businesses and sports facilities in Martensville have appeared on the Saskatchewan Health Authority‘s (SHA) potential COVID-19 exposure lists.

That includes the Martensville Athletic Pavillion, Martensville Curling Club Men’s League and Martensville Sports Centre.

Martensville High School recently moved to online learning until Nov. 23 after more than one person there tested positive for the disease.

The SHA said Medical Health Officer Dr. Jasmine Hasselback met with Martensville Collective Health and Wellness and town leaders over the weekend to discuss the increase in cases in the city.

“The cases have gone from a few cases that were easy to contact trace and contain, to a large number of complex cases with numerous close contacts,” according to a statement from the SHA.

“Dr. Hasselback is very concerned about this trend and has asked for the Town’s help in getting messaging to its residents.”

Shewchuk said the City of Martensville is encouraging people to follow the mandatory mask order, be conscious of the size of their bubbles and stay home as much as possible.

He said the city is also taking measures such as shutting down its facilities used for sports and athletic services.

“There has been some good communication I think between the user groups and our recreation department about using the facilities and it made our decision easier knowing that these user groups were definitely on board,” he said.

Some local businesses have even started taking extra precautions.

Bravo Dance Company is closing down its studio for two weeks and offering classes over Zoom in the meantime.

“We knew that in order for us to sustain our business long-term we needed to do something now in order to support the community. So my whole thought process was, I want to be part of the solution rather than a part of the problem,” owner and artistic director Meagan Barabash said.

Phobia Auto Care is reverting back to contactless services. Owner Steven Cusson said they will be keeping the front door closed to the public, sanitizing vehicles and keys and accepting payments online and over the phone.

“Any measures anybody takes, it helps decrease the number. If we can flatten the curve again then obviously things keep going and hopefully the economy bounces back,” he said.

The Martensville Minor Hockey Association is also suspending its season, saying “continuing is just too risky” with the rising cases.

It said the hope is to return to play on Dec. 1, but that it all depends on what the case numbers are at that point.

Shewchuk said he appreciates the community’s effort to help prevent transmission.

“It’s a lot easier when this movement comes from the local level rather than having it ordered from above,” he said.

The SHA is advising people in the community to follow public health orders and think about what they can do to keep their friends, family and neighbours safe during this time.