Two more people have come down with COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, but four more have recovered.
The latest numbers from the province show the two new cases. which bring the provincial total to 1,624, are in the North West and South Central zones.
The four recoveries brings the active case count down to 29 with 1,571 people having recovered. Zero cases are being reported for the Regina area as of Wednesday.
However there may be a discrepancy in that information from the government after a worker at the Co-op refinery in Regina tested positive for the virus on August 30.
When asked about that active case, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said he saw one case is in Regina and suggested there may be an inconsistency. He added there hasn’t been any large outbreaks at workplaces in the province so far, so citizens shouldn’t be concerned.
“It does sometimes take a while to ensure that there isn’t an outbreak in large workplaces. But we are confident that workplaces working with public health like the refinery will be able to manage that if there are any further cases,” suggested Shahab.
That person last worked on August 25 and has since been in self-isolation.
Two people are in hospital with COVID-19 in the province with one of those two receiving intensive care in Saskatoon. 1,220 tests were performed in Saskatchewan on Wednesday bringing the provincial total to 142, 126.
Pandemic preparations needed ahead of school year
With school starting in less than a week, the provincial government is urging families and students to take care and be mindful when going to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Shahab told residents during the government’s COVID-19 update on Wednesday afternoon that this is the year people cannot go to school or work when they are sick and to seek testing if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
“It is disruptive if a child suddenly wakes up and has a sore throat. Ordinarily, the child could have slipped into school, but this is not the year for that,” said Shahab.
“That extra layer of precautions is going to be very important and all of us will need to make adjustments.”
Dr. Shahab said parents should prepare for the possibility of their child becoming sick. He added if they are not old enough to be home alone, a plan should be created for their household or they can reach out to someone from their virtual household to assist them.
(With files from Moises Canales)
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