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Another Double Digit Hike in the number of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 Cases

By Vanese M. Ferguson Mar 21, 2020 | 4:28 PM

Saskatchewan’s number of COVID-19 cases has spiked again. The province’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saquib Shahab says they have been tracking people who attended several recent events. He says it started 2 weeks ago with exposure from a large dental conference where 2 people in one household were initially impacted. Anyone in contact with those people as well as the individuals involved who were symptomatic, were tested. There are now 44 cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.

“The second group event was the bonspiel which happened last week and, of course, we now have 11 out of 22 people exposed and symptomatic. And of course there was one household who travelled to another province and that province notified us that it was a funeral and there was exposure and because of that notification, public health followed up with the family. One person in the house became symptomatic and tested positive.”

Dr. Shahab says the increase in new cases numbers 18 and he has to emphasize that all of those cases are related to either travel or group events. So all the considerations Saskatchewan residents are making, are imperative.

“Quarantine for two weeks after travelling and limitations on gatherings”.

As to whether there are community transmission cases of COVID-19, Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, says out of a total 44 cases there are three cases where it has not be easy to establish exposure. It’s about connecting the dots and if they can’t connect those dots to travel or large gatherings in the next few days they will have to confirm there has been community transmission.
There is new confirmatory testing at the Roy Romanow Provincial Lab can be considered confirmed and no longer needed to be confirmed at the National Microbiology Lab.