The province is expanding testing efforts as the battle against COVID19 continues.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced Saturday morning that long-term care and personal care home residents will now be tested for the virus upon either admission or re-admission and that residents and staff will also be tested if there are any positive tests.

In a release. the SHA says expanded testing has been implemented to align with the most recent evidence and consideration of practices in other jurisdictions.

• Sask Health Authority declares outbreak of COVID19 in Beauval
• 26 new cases of COVID-19 in SK, 19 from La Loche
• Saskatchewan Health Authority declares COVID-19 outbreak at Prince Albert Victoria Hospital

The move comes less than 24 hours after 26 new cases of COVID19 in Saskatchewan were announced with outbreaks in Beauval and at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.   An outbreak was declared at that location because of how long a positive patients had been there without knowledge of their condition.  That patient had originally tested negative before being sent to the hospital April 21 for something that wasn’t COVID19 related.  That patient had also screened negative on a verbal risk assessment upon admission according to the SHA.