Sask. Health Authority updates on COVID-19 plan

SHA offers update on COVID-19 plan The Saskatchewan Health Authority updated the province on its COVID-19 plan. Chad Leroux reports.

SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) provided an update on the handling of COVID-19 in the province’s hospitals and health care centres, on Saturday afternoon.

Saskatchewan’s second presumptive case of COVID-19 was reported on Friday.

Members of the SHA said it would be taking a three pronged approach to try to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the province.

There will be increased testing and active surveillance in health centres across the province, and testing for COVID during all respiratory illness outbreaks in long term care.

The second strategy is to delay the transmission of the virus to the community for as long as possible. This includes self-isolation and contact tracing for anyone that has potentially been in contact with COVID-19

The SHA is also updating the protective equipment front-line health care workers and increasing training for how to deal with patients with the virus.

At this time there are no more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. The two people that have tested positive for COVID-19 in the province had been travelling outside of Saskatchewan before coming ill.

The SHA said there is no evidence of community transmission of the virus in either of these cases at this time.

People are being reminded to stay home if they feel sick. Good personal hygiene is also recommended, including not touching your face and covering coughs and sneezes. Non-essential travel is not recommended and this time and the SHA suggests everyone practice social distancing.

The pandemic has prompted the suspension of classes at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, along with the cancellations of several events throughout the province.

There is still no plan in place to close public schools like many provinces have done around the country.

“With respect to school closures, because of what is happening in other parts of the country that’s obviously something that were thinking about,” said Dr. Julie Kryzanowski. “It’s not a plan at this time but it is something that we are thinking about and making plans for, if and when it becomes necessary in the province.”

The SHA says that those not living near the provincial test centres have options to have a test performed without travelling. Some tests have been done through local medical officers and some have been conducted in people’s homes.