COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan

The COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of August 14, 2020, there have been 1541 confirmed cases, 1347 recoveries, and 20 deaths in Saskatchewan.[1]

COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
Total cases by region, per 100,000 residents (2018 population estimate):   >920   >160   >120   >80   >40   >0
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Saskatchewan, Canada
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Saskatoon
Arrival date	March 9, 2020 (5 months and 1 week)
Confirmed cases	936
Active cases	128
Recovered	793
Deaths	15
Government website
Saskatchewan Government

A provincial state of emergency was declared on March 18, and the province began to institute mandatory closures of non-essential facilities and lines of business over the days that followed. By early April, the number of new cases within Saskatchewan began to trend downwards; on April 6, the number of new recoveries began to regularly equal or exceed the number of new cases, which also began to steadily drop. On April 23, 2020, the province unveiled a plan to gradually begin lifting economic restrictions on May 4, although restrictions on larger public gatherings, social distancing, and self-isolation after international travel, will remain in force indefinitely. As of July 14, 2020, COVID-19 testing is available universally to all residents.

Late-April saw a major outbreak emerge in northwest Saskatchewan, centred upon the town of La Loche. By late-May, the outbreak had begun to subside, and the province began to lift restrictions in the region on June 8. In late-June, another major outbreak began to emerge, centred upon the province's southwest and west central regions, and with a large number of these cases attributed to communal living environments. They intensified in mid-July, with the province's largest single-day increases in cases.

Timeline

Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Officer Saqib Shahab announced the first presumptive case of in the province on March 12, a person in their 60s that had recently returned from Egypt, who was tested on March 9, and was in self-isolation at their home.[2] By March 16, the number of presumptive cases in the province had increased to seven.[3] On March 17, one new case was reported.[4] On the same day, the College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan recommended that those who attended the 2020 Pacific Dental Conference in Vancouver to self-isolate after many cases, including two in Saskatchewan, were linked to the event.[5]

On March 18, 8 new cases were reported.[6] On March 19, four new cases were reported, bringing the provincial total to 20.[7] On March 20, six new cases were reported, and 8 were confirmed.[8] On March 21, 18 new cases were reported,[9] including 11 healthcare workers who attended a physicians' bonspiel at a curling club in Edmonton from March 11 to 14.[10] The index case was reported to be a physician from Saskatchewan who had contracted COVID-19 in Las Vegas.[11][12][13] On March 23, 14 new cases were reported, and only one was still presumptive.[14] On March 24, six new confirmed cases were reported, totalling 72 confirmed cases. This includes four cases thought to possibly be the result of community transmission, pending a full investigation.[15] Another new 14 cases were announced on March 25. On March 26 and 27, 9 new cases were reported each.[16][17]

On March 28, Saskatchewan announced the largest single-day increase in cases, at 30. The spike, especially in northern and central Saskatchewan, was attributed to 18 cases involving attendees of a snowmobile rally in Christopher Lake on March 14.[18][19] The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) initially announced two positive cases (including a participant, and a server at an associated dinner) on March 25, and has advised self-isolation for anyone who had attended.[20][21]

On March 30, the confirmed case count rose to 176, and Saskatchewan also reported its first deaths from COVID-19. Both people were in their 70s and were from separate parts of the province.[22]

April 2020 drop in cases

By April 6, Saskatchewan had 253 cases and 81 recoveries. For the first time, the number of new recoveries (14) exceeded the number of new cases (4).[23] On April 8, the SHA released its preliminary modelling data, which had projected "low" and "upper-range" scenarios with between 153,000 and 408,000 cases respectively, and 3,075 to 8,370 deaths respectively.[24][25]

Seven new cases and recoveries were announced the next day.[26] The total number of cases continued to rise, reaching 289 on April 11, though the remaining active cases fell to 138—dropping for the first time below the number of recoveries (which rose to 147).[27] On April 13, Saskatchewan reported 14 recoveries and two new cases (totalling 300).[28][29] The next day, only one new case was reported, and nine new recoveries.[30]

On April 17, Shahab announced that the province was monitoring cases tied to long-term care facilities, including an "outbreak situation" in La Loche, a second staff member of one in Regina testing positive, and three residents of said home with symptoms (which later tested negative).[31][32] On April 21, health officer for North Saskatchewan Rim Zayed stated that the cases in La Loche were "under control".[33] The SHA announced plans to release updated modelling.[25]

On April 23, Premier Scott Moe gave a televised address (the first such address by the Premier of Saskatchewan since Roy Romanow's tenure), announcing that the province had "flattened the curve", and that he and Shahab would unveil a five-stage process to "gradually and methodically" lift restrictions on commerce and services. He explained that the province had to balance the risks of doing so too quickly (which could cause the virus to spread again), and doing so too slowly (which could cause "permanent damage to the livelihoods of thousands of Saskatchewan people"), and that the province was "looking at ways to increase testing and contact tracing in the days ahead".[34][35][25] Moe also stated that Saskatchewan was 70% below the national average of cases per-province, and hospitalizations and deaths were 90% below average.[34]

Outbreak in Northern Saskatchewan

In late-April, the outbreak in La Loche began to intensify, with a major spike in active cases in the "Far North" zone (Division No. 18).[36][37] On April 24, Saskatchewan saw its largest number of new cases since April 8, with 10 (offset by 10 recoveries). In response to the outbreak, Premier Moe stated that despite its overall progress, the province "can expect to experience isolated outbreaks such as this".[36] On April 27, the province announced twelve new cases and a fifth death—an 83-year-old man who was a resident of a long-term care home in La Loche. All but one of the new cases were situated in the Far North zone. Northern Health Officer Zayed stated that almost all of the 29 new cases in La Loche had been traced to a case from northern Alberta.[38][39] The initial cases were ultimately traced to travel from the Kearl Oil Sands Project on northern Alberta. A health officer of the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority cited that travel between communities was common in Northern Saskatchewan, and that overcrowded living conditions in First Nations communities may have exacerbated its spread.[40]

Ryan Meili, leader of the opposition Saskatchewan NDP, called for more action to be taken in the northern region, including "mobiliz[ing] the resources necessary to test everyone in La Loche and Clearwater River Dene Nation". Tracy Zambory, head of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses, similarly argued that "we're expecting a population that hasn't gotten much help in the past to suddenly understand and follow all these rules".[39]

The SHA released updated modelling on April 28, estimating an effective reproduction number of 0.7 per-case, with the estimated total cases reduced to 254,756, and 3,050 deaths.[41] The next day, Saskatchewan announced 17 new cases, and one new death in the Far North region. Eleven of the new cases are situated in La Loche, and four in Lloydminster — tied to a cluster of 13 at Lloydminster Hospital.[42][43] Moe therefore announced that both cities would be excluded from the first phase of the lifting of economic restrictions (Re-Open Saskatchewan) on May 4.[44] Although the outbreak was declared the prior Sunday, it was not publicly announced until three days later; Medical Health Officer of the North zone Mandiangu Nsungu explained that "the hope is always that you will control the situation because there is also a balance between sending an alarm to the community too soon. You have to balance that with the negative impact that may result in terms of panic. You have to find the right time to make that announcement in such a way that you actually do not panic the population for not much benefit."[45]

On May 1, Saskatchewan surpassed 400 cases in total with its largest single-day increase since March 28, with 19 in the Far North zone and four in the North zone within the Lloydminster area.[46] An outbreak was also declared at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, due to a patient having been there for multiple days for unrelated procedures before testing positive on April 30. A previous test and verbal assessment upon the patient's arrival on April 21 had come back negative. There was no evidence of transmission within the hospital.[47] An outbreak was also declared in Beauval, Saskatchewan.[48] 12 new cases were reported on May 3.[49] On May 4, the province announced 34 new confirmed cases—its largest single-day increase in cases to-date, with all but five being within the Far North zone. Premier Moe cited the increased number as evidence that "increased testing in that area is working". SHA CEO Scott Livingstone stated that the positive case at Victoria Hospital was tied to La Loche.[50]

On May 5, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Theresa Tam stated that the outbreak in North Saskatchewan was "of concern", due to its remote communities and indigenous populations.[51] 20 new cases were announced, with 18 in the Far North zone, all primarily confined to the northwest (with 5 in La Loche). Due to an employee testing positive, an outbreak was declared at a dairy factory in the Saskatoon zone.[52] 25 new cases were announced the next day, surpassing 500 in total, with all but 3 being in La Loche. A staff member at Meadow Lake Hospital also tested positive.[53] On May 7, the outbreak at Lloydminster Hospital was deemed stable, and the city was given clearance to enter phase one of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan on May 11.[54] With 15 new cases, the Far North zone surpassed the Saskatoon zone as having the most individual cases out of all regions defined by the SHA.[55] On May 9, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority suspended all alcohol sales and distribution in La Loche for two weeks in order to discourage gatherings.[56]

On May 17, the La Loche Health Centre outbreak was declared inactive, as 28 days had passed without new cases directly associated with it.[57] On May 20, Saskatchewan announced 21 new cases (16 in Far North) and its seventh death, a patient of the North region in their 60s.[58] On May 26, Saskatchewan announced one new death in the Far North—a woman in their 50's—and no new confirmed cases.[59] By June, the number of daily cases had begun to subside once more, although two new deaths were announced in Far North on June 8.[60]

On June 15, 18 new cases were reported, with 13 in the Far North attributed to a wake and funeral in Clearwater River Dene Nation on June 10 and 11. Shahab warned that COVID-19 was still in the province, and that all residents needed to continue taking precautions to reduce the spread of the virus.[61][62]

On July 16, La Loche reported that it no longer had any active cases.[63]

Outbreak in west Saskatchewan

On June 17, an outbreak was declared in two Hutterite colonies in the RM of Maple Creek. 14 cases were initially tied to this outbreak.[64] The next day, Shahab stated that the province was working with officials in Alberta to investigate possible ties to inter-provincial travel; the Spring Valley Hutterite Colony in southern Alberta stated that several colonies from Saskatchewan had attended a funeral service it had held for three teenagers who had drowned in a boating accident.[65][66][67]

On June 21, Saskatchewan announced 20 new cases — the largest in nearly a month. 18 of these cases were attributed to the outbreak.[68] The SHA announced that it was working with the Hutterian Safety Council (HSC) to facilitate communications and testing efforts within local colonies under its oversight (including those in Saskatchewan and Alberta).[66] In a joint statement on June 22, both groups noted that there had been a false sense of security among some colonies due to their isolated structure, and that "the unfortunate misunderstanding has taken root that positive COVID-19 tests would lead to an economic shutdown of their communities".[67] On June 23, nine of the 11 new cases announced on June 22 were deducted from Saskatchewan's total case count due to them being from out-of-province residents.[69]

Beginning July 1, 2020 due to a decrease in new cases, the province began to only release new case numbers on weekdays, with case numbers on weekends and statutory holidays held over to the next business day.[70][71] On July 2, Saskatchewan's 14th death (in the Far North zone) was announced.[72] After an outbreak emerged in the southern community of Warner, Alberta, Alberta Health Services stated that it was investigating whether an exposure may have occurred at the aforementioned funeral.[73][74] On July 7, the province announced its 15th and youngest death to-date, a man in their 20's from the North zone.[75]

On July 13, the province announced that there had been a total of 56 new cases since Friday (2 on Saturday, 23 on Sunday, 31 on Monday). It was stated that the majority of these new cases were in the southwest and west-central regions of the province, listing a series of 11 regional municipalities (unlike previous cases, where the province refused to release such specific details). The SHA stated that it was working with local Hutterite communities to perform additional testing and contact tracing in the affected areas, but did not specifically say how many cases were related to the previous Maple Creek outbreak beyond that they were tied to "communal living conditions" and "active case finding", and about 10 were tied to "sporadic events and contacts".[76][77][78]

On July 15, the SHA warned of an "emergent situation in the southwest and central west areas of the province", including Swift Current and surrounding rural municipalities, with a heightened risk of public transmission.[79] In response to public concern, and criticism by the opposition NDP amid the spike, Premier Moe announced that the SHA would return to releasing updates on weekends and holidays.[71]

On July 16, Saskatchewan announced 42 new cases, its largest single-day increase to-date, surpassing 900 cases in total, and going back above 100 active cases.[80] On July 22, Saskatchewan surpassed its single-day record with 60 new cases. 50 of these cases are within the South zone; 48 of these were tied to Hutterite colonies in western Saskatchewan, and all but 5 were within a single colony in Lawtonia. The province stated that there were currently 17 Hutterite colonies with active cases, and that it was working with the colonies to implement localized restrictions on non-essential travel.[81][82] On July 28, the HSC displayed concerns over the SHA's identification of specific colonies with COVID-19 cases, citing that its specific references to the group or euphemistic language had created a negative stigma.[83]

On July 30, Saskatchewan had the highest rate of new cases per-capita out of all provinces over the past seven days.[84] That day, Saskatchewan announced its 18th death, 38 new cases, and 55 new recoveries. Premier Moe stated that although most did, there were still some colonies that had not cooperated with the province's guidance.[85]

Statistics

COVID-19 Cases in Saskatchewan[1]

Legend   New/total cases[lower-alpha 1]   Active cases[lower-alpha 2]   Recoveries   Deaths Includes confirmed and presumptive cases. Total cases minus recoveries and deaths.

Provincial government response

Citing concerns over the potential of an impending outbreak in the province, Premier Scott Moe announced on March 12 that he would not pursue a snap provincial election. Saskatchewan's next general election is scheduled for October 26, 2020.[86]

On March 13, following the second presumptive case in the province, the Saskatchewan government announced restrictions on gatherings of more than 250 people in contiguous indoor space, as well as gatherings of more than 50 people if they include participants who had recently travelled internationally.[87][88] Exceptions are permitted for retail shops.[89][90] An exception for faith-based organizations was removed March 16.[89] The government sharply reduced inter-provincial and international travel by any provincial employees on government business. It also provided that provincial employees who have travelled outside the country, whether on government business or personal travel, must self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.[90]

On March 17, the government announced that it was delaying the introduction of the provincial budget, because the government revenue forecasts underlying it were no longer reliable, in light of the current situation. The Government would announce the planned spending, including for the health care sector, which would see an increase in funding.[91] The same day, the Legislature passed amendments to provincial employment law, to provide unpaid job security to employees during the pandemic. The amendments passed with the support of both parties.[92] The next day, the Legislature adjourned its spring sitting, with the consent of the Opposition.[93]

Saskatchewan declared a provincial state of emergency on March 18, which included plans for shifting all provincial government entities and crown corporations to remote work by March 23, authorizing the SHA to "redeploy nurses and other staff and ensure medical supplies and personal protective equipment are available when needed and reduce risk of further exposure to our care providers and patients", and advising against non-essential travel outside of the province.[94][95][96] The province also began to institute restrictions on non-essential commerce (including ordering the closure of all fitness facilities, casinos, and bingo halls),[97][96] and banned gatherings of more than 50 people.[94][96]

On March 20, Premier Moe signed an order making public health orders issued pursuant to the state of emergency enforceable under provincial law, with violations punishable by fine of up to $2,000 for individuals, and $10,000 for businesses.[98][99] Beginning March 23, gatherings of 25 people or more were prohibited unless all patrons were capable of maintaining appropriate social distancing.[100][101][102] All art galleries, museums, and other recreational, entertainment, and personal service facilities were ordered closed, and certain types of medical clinics (chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and registered massage therapists) were restricted to non-elective appointments only. Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs were restricted to take-out and/or delivery service only. Bars and nightclubs could only offer take-out if customers were capable of maintaining appropriate social distancing.[100][101][102]

On March 26, all gatherings were limited to 10 people,[103][104] and the province ordered the closure of all "non-allowable business services" to the public. Examples of "non-allowable business services" included but were not limited to ATV, boat, and snowmobile retailers, clothing, shoe, accessory, and jewellery stores, electronics, entertainment, and toy stores, flower shops, book, gift, and stationery stores, sporting goods stores, pawn shops, and travel agencies.[103] On April 1, the state of emergency was extended.[105] On April 18, the province released guidelines on the conduction of drive-in church services.[106]

On May 4, most of the province entered phase 1 of a re-opening plan to lift the majority of the prior restrictions, beginning with those surrounding medical clinics and outdoor recreation. Some restrictions remain in force indefinitely, including those on larger public gatherings, visitation of long-term care facilities, visitation of SHA facilities for non-compassionate reasons, and mandatory self-isolation after international travel.[107][108][109]

On July 27, Premier Moe stated that he had not ruled out eventually mandating the wearing of face masks when social distancing is not possible, on either a regional or provincial basis. He noted that the "conversation" had been "escalating" nationwide, and that the province would "really need to be very careful with the public health guidelines and recommendations" once colder weather prompts more people to spend time within enclosed spaces.[110][111]

On August 7, the temporary regulations allowing lawyers to remotely witness the signings of documents such as power of attorney declarations and wills were made permanent, in an effort to "increase access to the justice system through the use of technology.[112]

Schools

The University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan voluntarily suspended in-person classes on March 16, and switched to online courses for the remainder of the semester.[113][114] On March 16, the province announced that all public schools would "wind down" over the week, and close indefinitely on March 20. Final grades will be issued based on existing progress, and eligible Grade 12 students will be able to graduate.[115][116] Daycares have been capped at 8 children per teacher, and school-based facilities have been reserved for the children of essential service and health care workers.[102][117] Opposition Leader Meili criticized the approach, arguing that the children of health care workers mixed with others could spread COVID-19 among families.[117]

On May 7, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education stated that in-person classes would remain suspended through the end of the school year.[118] The University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan announced that the suspension of in-person classes would continue through fall semester.[119] On June 9, the province announced that it would allow public schools to resume in-person classes beginning in the new school year, with guidelines to be issued by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Chief Medical Officer. Contingencies will be offered in case in-person classes cannot be offered, or a student voluntarily declines to attend them.[120]

The "Safe Schools Plan" was released on August 4, 2020, which includes a four-level system for determining how classes will be held based on current situations, ranging from "as close to normal as possible" under enhanced safety protocols (Level 1), to mandating face masks (Level 2), reducing the capacity of schools via cohorts and "hybrid learning" (Level 3), and suspending in-person classes (Level 4).[121] Most decisions will be left to individual school boards, which are developing procedures aligned with the provincial guidance.[122][123]

NDP Education Critic Carla Beck felt that the Saskatchewan Safe Schools Plan was the worst back-to-school plan in the entire country, citing the lack of immediate requirements for face masks and/or reduced class sizes (as in other provinces), lack of additional funding being provided to schools to cover the costs of implementing the guidelines, and concerns that the guidelines had not been updated to account for recent increases in community transmission. Beck argued that "prior to this pandemic, classrooms were already overcrowded and understaffed", and that "this seems to be a plan that is setting our schools up to fail and if and when people get sick, then we’ll look at bringing in additional measures."[122][123] Opposition Leader Meili felt that it lacked detail on what criteria would be used to determine an increase in level.[124]

Minister of Education Gordon Wyant stated that the plan was open to adjustments if recommended by Shahab based on changing conditions, and that the province was ordering six million masks for use by students and faculty in case Level 2 measures need to be employed.[123] On August 7, the province stated that "mask usage can be implemented under the direction of the Chief Medical Health Officer in consultation with Public Health either regionally or provincially, based on the most up-to-date situation and scientific information available".[125] The province released more specific guidance on August 12 for Phase 2 protocols, including recommending that masks be worn in "high-traffic areas" by students from Grade 4 to 12. The public and Catholic school boards of Regina and Saskatoon subsequently announced that they would mandate the wearing of masks by students when social distancing is not possible.[126]

On August 15, Premier Moe announced that the start of classes would be delayed by a week to September 8 to provide additional time for preparations by students and faculty, and that the province would develop a voluntary testing strategy oriented towards schools, and provide $40 million in additional funding to school divisions to cover costs related to safety measures.[127]

Travel advisories and restrictions

Non-essential travel outside of the province has been discouraged, except for those commuting for work out-of-province (such as in border communities).[94][96] Effective March 20, residents returning from any international travel (excluding essential travellers such as working crews, transport workers and health care workers),[100] those who have tested positive for COVID-19,[128] and those identified as recent contacts of someone who had tested positive, are required by law to self-isolate for 14 days, with those breaking quarantine subject to a $2,000 fine.[100][95] Premier Moe cited concerns over those not following its previous self-isolation recommendations as justification for the legal measure.[102] This also became a federal requirement under the Quarantine Act effective March 26.[129]

On April 18, citing reports of cases linked to the Kearl Oil Sands Project near Fort McMurray, Alberta,[130] the SHA instituted an advisory against non-essential travel between Northwest Saskatchewan and Northern Alberta, and began recommending self-isolation for those returning from inter-provincial travel between the areas.[131] These cases would result in a major outbreak in Northern Saskatchewan.[40] On April 24, due to an increasing number of cases in the zone, Premier Moe announced that non-essential travel into or from the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD) would be restricted, enforced by checkpoints along highways leading into the zone. Residents of the area were also advised to avoid non-essential travel between communities.[132][37]

On April 30, a public health order was issued requiring residents of the NSAD to practice appropriate social distancing and not travel outside of their communities, with exceptions only for medical needs and grocery shopping. Individuals with a primary residence in the NSAD were also barred from entering the region.[117][133] Those travelling to and from the communities of La Ronge and Stony Rapids were initially granted an exception to the travel ban, but they were forbidden from stopping in any other community within the NSAD.[117][133] La Ronge councillor Jordan McPhail stated on May 3 that the town would request its removal from the exemption, arguing that it created a loophole.[134] Both exemptions were removed on May 6.[53]

On May 19, due to the regional nature of the La Loche outbreak, the interprovincial travel restrictions were reduced to only the northwest corner of the province.[135] The travel restriction ended in full on June 8.[136]

Health care

On April 15, the SHA began to mandate that employees of all of its facilities wear masks and undergo twice-daily temperature checks. An online self-screening website was established to provide guidance to employees before they begin their shifts.[137] Effective April 28, employees of long-term care facilities are cohorted, and are prohibited from working at more than one facility in order to prevent spread. Individual facilities may be exempted by request if they are deemed unable to maintain adequate staff.[138][139]

As of April 28, there are 50 testing sites in Saskatchewan.[41] Officials stated that Saskatchewan has had the second-largest number of tests performed per-capita among all provinces.[140][141] On April 9, it was announced that the lab had processed over 1,000 in 24 hours.[142] On April 13, Premier Moe announced that the province had begun to deploy around twelve mobile testing machines, beginning in Meadow Lake and Prince Albert, to allow tests to be processed on-site in around four hours. Moe stated that the province aimed to perform 1,500 tests per-day by the end of April.[143] Following their approval by Health Canada, the province purchased new rapid testing kits by the Ottawa-based Spartan Bioscience. However on May 3, these kits were voluntarily recalled by the company after being restricted to research use only by Health Canada, due to "concerns regarding the efficacy of the proprietary swab".[144][145]

By late-April, the amount of testing performed began to decline; SHA CEO Scott Livingstone stated on April 22 that they were "just not seeing people show up with symptoms of COVID-19", and there had also been a decline in calls to HealthLine 811. Despite this, Livingstone did state that their overall testing capacity had surpassed the previously-stated target of 1,500 per-day.[25][146]

On April 28, the SHA announced that it would expand its testing to include more involving asymptomatic patients.[41] This will also include testing of long-term care and personal care residents upon admission and readmission.[147] On May 14, the SHA announced that it would expand proactive testing of patients being admitted to acute care, asymptomatic immunocompromised patients (such as cancer patients), health workers who work with immunocompromised patients, and workers of "high-volume" operations (such as factories), and "active case finding" in populations such as First Nations communities.[148][149] On May 20, the SHA announced that tests would become available by-request to any resident who works outside of home.[150]

Door-to-door testing was employed in the La Loche area, with over 800 households tested through the conclusion of the program on May 24. Northern Health Officer Zayed described the scheme as having led to "more understanding, communication, engagement, [and] solidarity" between the SHA and local leaders.[151]

On July 7, the SHA began to lift restrictions on visitation, allowing residents of acute and long-term care patients to have one family or support visitor at a time, and maternal service, critical care, and palliative or end of life patients to have two.[152]

On July 13, the SHA announced that testing would become available by-request to all residents.[153] The change led to a major increase in demand for tests: on July 23, Opposition Leader Meili urged the SHA to increase its testing capacity so it could deal with a reported backlog, and to be more transparent about average wait times for testing.[154][155] As of July 27, Saskatchewan has lagged in testing per-capita in comparison to other provinces.[111]

Phase-out of economic restrictions

See also: Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

On April 13, amidst the number of new cases trending downward, Premier Moe announced that he would begin consultations with the Chief Medical Officer on plans to gradually restore normal commerce and services, with plans to release more information as early as the following week if new cases in Saskatchewan remain steady. He warned that these proposals would depend on a "comprehensive and robust testing and contact tracing plan", and that this would have to be done in a cautious manner, since "there is no magic switch that we can flip that sends everything back to normal overnight", and "we may not be able to move on some areas for a number of months, or until we get a vaccine", since the province was "only one outbreak away from interrupting those numbers".[28][29]

The province unveiled its "Re-Open Saskatchewan" plan on April 23, which consists of five phases with a gradual lifting of economic restrictions, and guidelines for specific industries to implement as the phases progress.[107][108][109] All phases are subject to continued practice of appropriate social distancing, and other industry-specific guidelines and requirements issued by the province (such as enhanced cleaning protocols).[107][108][109]

Government recommendations also remain in force indefinitely, such as those regarding personal hygiene, cleaning and disinfection protocols by businesses and public venues (especially on high-touched surfaces), use of protective equipment where applicable, remote work whenever possible, advisories against non-essential travel outside of Saskatchewan (including within Canada), and protective measures for vulnerable populations.[107][108][109]

Shahab estimated in June 2020 that restrictions might not be fully lifted for at least a year.[156] He stated that there were no plans to reintroduce a "lockdown" in the event of a prospective second wave, as he expected "small clusters" of cases to continue emerging over time, and that there were plans for the province to shift its attention to promoting the use of protective equipment and continued social distancing. He felt that Saskatchewan's residents had gone "above and beyond" his expectations in their compliance with health orders.[157]

Phase	Date implemented	Restrictions eased
1	May 4, 2020 (excluding La Loche and Lloydminster)[44] May 11, 2020 (Lloydminster)	Previously-restricted medical clinics such as chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, and physical therapists were allowed to resume elective appointments, subject to government guidelines. Employees must use protective equipment when social distancing is not possible. Facilities for "low-risk" outdoor recreational activities were allowed to reopen throughout the month, beginning with boat launches and fishing (May 4), golf courses (May 15), and campgrounds (June 1). All are subject to social distancing and government guidelines. Online campsite reservations opened on May 4, and are restricted to residents of Saskatchewan only.
2	May 19, 2020 (excluding La Loche)[158] June 8, 2020 (La Loche)[136]	"Non-allowable business services" were allowed to resume public operations and business, subject to government guidelines that may affect how business is conducted. Selected personal care services were allowed to resume business, including hair dressers, acupuncture, and registered massage therapists, subject to government guidelines. Employees must use protective equipment when social distancing is not possible.
3	June 8, 2020 (excluding La Loche)	Limit on participants in public indoor gatherings (i.e. outside of an allowable business) raised from 10 to 15. Limit on participants in public outdoor gatherings raised from 10 to 30.[159] Remaining non-essential personal care services were allowed to resume business, subject to government guidelines. Employees must use protective equipment when social distancing is not possible. Restaurants and licensed establishments were allowed to resume offering dine-in service at half of their licensed capacity with social distancing. Self-service (including buffets) and recreational activities where social distancing is not possible (such as billiards, dance floors, video lottery, etc.).were prohibited. Fitness facilities and gyms were allowed to reopen, subject to government guidelines. Child care services may have up to 15 children per-space, and children must be limited to a single facility. Beaches and outdoor playgrounds reopened on June 12.[160]
4.1	June 22, 2020 (excluding La Loche)	Limit on participants in public indoor gatherings raised from 15 to 30. Outdoor recreation facilities were allowed to resume business, subject to government guidelines.[156] Outdoor sports were allowed to resume, subject to government guidelines. Tournaments and interprovincial competitions are prohibited. Campgrounds reopened to full capacity on June 26.[161]
4.2	June 29, 2020 (excluding La Loche)	Galleries, libraries, museums, and cinemas were allowed to reopen, subject to social distancing and government guidelines.[156][69]
4.2	July 6, 2020 (excluding La Loche)	Bars and restaurants may admit as many customers as they can while maintaining 2 metres (6.6 ft) of space between groups. They were also allowed to resume offering recreational activities.[162] Indoor recreation and performing arts facilities were allowed to reopen, subject to government guidelines.[69][162] Indoor sports were allowed to resume, subject to government guidelines. Tournaments and interprovincial competitions are prohibited.[69][162] Casinos and bingo halls were allowed to resume operations on July 9, subject to social distancing and government guidelines.[162]
5	TBD	The province will consider lifting some of its long-term restrictions, including those on the size of gatherings.

The resumption of procedures at SHA facilities are on a separate timetable:[163] on May 5, the SHA announced a four-phase plan that began May 19 with increased availability of primary care, surgeries, and diagnostic imaging.[164] In order to handle potential surges tied to Phase 2, the emergency departments of 12 rural community hospitals were temporarily closed so that their staff may be reassigned to larger facilities, with the affected facilities converted to offering an "alternative level of care".[165] In June, the SHA announced plans to restore service at eight of these facilities, subject to status of the region and other factors.[166][136]

New cases, infection patterns (including management of cases imported from outside of the province), and the efficiency of contact tracing will be monitored by the government. The timetable for entry into phases 3, 4, and 5 will be dependent on the performance of the first two, and the province may roll back these decisions if needed.[109][108][107] On May 21, Moe tentatively announced that Phase 3 would be implemented on June 8, but that this target could vary by region, especially if they are "experiencing some challenges". It was also announced that the limit on participants in outdoor gatherings would be increased to 30 rather than 15 as originally announced (indoor gatherings will be capped at 15 until Phase 4).[159]

Most of Saskatchewan entered Phase 3 on June 8. La Loche was given authorization to enter Phase 2.[136] On June 16, it was announced that the first stage of Phase 4 would be implemented on June 22, allowing other forms of outdoor recreation facilities and sports to resume. On June 23, it was announced that portions of Phase 4.2 will begin June 29, allowing indoor galleries, libraries, museums, and cinemas to open. Indoor recreation facilities, including sports, as well as casinos, were to be reopened at a later date within the next two weeks. Guidelines and requirements were also modified to mandate the wearing of face masks by employees of restaurants, gyms, and personal care facilities [161][167][156]

On June 30, it was announced that indoor sports, recreation, and performing arts facilities could reopen on July 6. At this time, bars and restaurants were also relieved from hard caps on the their capacity, provided that social distancing can be maintained. They were also allowed to resume offering recreational activities and VLTs; the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) announced that it will raise its commissions to VLT operators from 15% to 25% through January 3, 2021 to compensate for the shutdown, in an effort to provide additional revenue to the hospitality industry.[168] Live entertainment at licensed establishments could resume July 16.[162]

Casinos reopened on July 9; no live table games will be offered at this time, and selected slot machines may be disabled to enforce social distancing. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) is requiring the wearing of face masks, and for patrons to check-in upon arrival (through either a name and phone number, or via their rewards card) for contact tracing purposes.[169][170][171]

Reception

Zambory deemed Moe's initial announcement on April 13 to be premature; she argued that it could encourage residents to stop practising social distancing or remaining at home, which could potentially lead to renewed spread.[172] Following the unveiling, Zambory was more positive towards the plan, stated that "there's no reason reopening the economy and keeping people in Saskatchewan safe from COVID-19 can't go in tandem", but displayed a continued concern that residents were "going to get far too comfortable and start forgetting all the good rules that we've worked so hard on."[173] Opposition Leader Meili supported the announced plan, but called for more financial support to be provided to "support communities, individuals and families" impacted by the pandemic and business closures, and criticized Moe's optimistic declaration from his address as "pretend[ing] that this is over", as well as a lack of consultation with Saskatchewan's First Nations communities and other provinces over the plan.[174]

Child care services could not expand their capacity until phase 3, which faced criticism from Meili for potentially affecting the ability for parents to return to work in phase 2.[175] Premier Moe stated that this was "an ongoing conversation that we can have as we phase into these different approaches to ensure that people not only have the opportunity to go back to work but have the opportunity to access child care for their children."[176] On April 28, it was announced that the province would provide space at school-based child care facilities for the children of workers of businesses reopened in phase 1 and 2 (and later, phase 3)[156] of the plan.[117]

Concerns were raised over the impact of the La Loche outbreak on the plans; on April 27, Premier Moe described this as an isolated outbreak and not "throughout the North", but Zambory still showed concerns, stating that "it really is scary now that we're starting to really become overly comfortable".[39] On April 29, Moe officially announced that La Loche, as well as Lloydminster (due to an outbreak recently detected in the area), would be excluded from the implementation of phase 1 at this time.[44] On May 7, it was announced that Lloydminster would be allowed to enter phase 1 on May 11.[54]

Local responses

On March 18, a Sangster's health store in Lawson Heights, Saskatoon was closed after multiple visits by a customer who stated that she had recently returned from international travel to Hawaii, and that multiple passengers on the flight had felt ill. The store's local owner criticized the customer for breaking recommended self-quarantine, even though she had displayed no symptoms herself.[177]

On March 20, Regina Transit and Saskatoon Transit suspended fares for all bus service, but with reduced service.[178][179][180]

In early April, Restaurants Canada reported that 25,000 restaurant jobs have been lost in Saskatchewan since March 1. It also reported that approximately 10% of restaurants in Canada have closed permanently, and estimated that another 18% would close if the situation has not changed in a month's time. Local restaurant operators expressed concerns whether they would be able to re-open.[181]

In April, a Real Canadian Superstore in Regina,[182] as well as McDonald's locations in Regina[183] and Saskatoon,[184] saw temporary closures for cleaning and disinfection after individual employees tested positive.

Lloydminster falls directly on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan; on April 24, Mayor Gerald Aalbers stated that the city as a whole would follow Saskatchewan's decisions on the lifting of economic restrictions, rather than Alberta (which had not yet revealed its plans).[185][186]

In La Loche, a curfew between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. was ordered on April 18.[187][33] The Northern store in La Loche (one of only two grocery stores in the village) closed on May 7 for cleaning and disinfection after an employee tested positive.[55]

First Nations

Métis Nation-Saskatchewan declared a province-wide state of emergency on April 18.[188] The organization stated that "jurisdictional limbo" between the provincial and federal governments had hampered their ability to prepare for COVID-19.[189]

Municipal orders with measures contrary to provincial measures

The municipal governments of Gravelbourg and Regina declared their own states of emergency with stricter restrictions than those enforced by the province. Regina announced an intent to ban all public meetings larger than 5 people or more (outside of home, workplaces, or as part of essential services), and order the closure of retail stores in specific categories to in-person shopping (including clothing, furniture, games, sporting goods, and toys) effective March 23.[190] Mayor of Regina Michael Fougere argued that Saskatchewan's initial restrictions were not strict enough, arguing that meetings of 50 people were too large to avoid possible community transmission, and that restaurants and bars should have been ordered to close rather than limit capacity.[191]

Gravelbourg similarly ordered that all businesses be closed to the public for 14 days (delivery and curbside pickup would still be allowed, and there were special operating requirements planned for the local Co-op store), and that only a maximum of five employees could be in a building at any one time.[192]

On March 22, the province stated that it would take steps to ensure that its emergency measures maintain precedence over municipal orders that include "contrary standards".[193] Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr explained that "during this time of great uncertainty, it is of the utmost importance that we provide certainty to Saskatchewan residents and make every effort to minimize confusion", and cited Regina's attempts to close retail stores as an example of a restriction where provincial decisions take precedence.[194][195]

Impact

Prior to the announcement of Saskatchewan's first presumptive case, the 2020 Juno Awards in Saskatoon were cancelled by their organizers on March 12.[196][197] The 2020 Country Thunder Saskatchewan music festival in Craven was cancelled.[198]

On May 20, the CFL announced that the 108th Grey Cup festivities in Regina had been cancelled (with Regina's Mosaic Stadium therefore awarded the 110th Grey Cup in 2022), and the game (if held) would use home advantage based on regular season performance.[199] Premier Moe endorsed interest by the city of Regina in hosting the CFL's western teams as part of a proposed "hub" model, if the 2020 CFL season were to go on with such a format (the league would name Winnipeg as its tentative hub city for all games in July 2020).[200][201]

On June 8, 2020, Canada West and U Sports cancelled all sanctioned university athletics events for the remainder of the calendar year (including football, impacting the Regina Rams and Saskatoon Huskies).[202]

Regional distribution

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

AHA

fKYHR

fMCHR

fPNHR

fPAPHR

fKTHR

fHHR

fSkHR

fSHR

fRQHR

fCHR

fFHHR

fSCHR

COVID-19 reporting regions:[1][204]

  Far North (AHA, fKYHR, fMCHR)

  North (fPNHR, fPAPHR, fKTHR)

  Central (fHHR, fSHR)

  Saskatoon (fSkHR)

  South (fCHR, fFHHR, fSCHR)

  Regina (fRQHR)

The following table summarizes the number of persons with COVID-19 in Saskatchewan as of August 16, 2020.[1]

On August 4, 2020, the province began to re-align its data to use 13 zones instead of 6, which are themselves divided into a total of 32 sub-regions. The province is currently migrating its public dashboard to reflect this new structure.[205]

Regions

Region	Cases[lower-alpha 1]	Active Cases[lower-alpha 2]
Far North East	6	0
Far North Central	0	0
Far North West	346	0
North East	65	0
North Central	68	1
North West	119	23
Central East	33	6
Central West	161	9
Regina	131	39
Saskatoon	247	24
South East	11	0
South Central	187	36
South West	206	55
Total	1,580	193
Cumulative total of presumptive and confirmed cases. Active case count may be an overestimate. Active cases are calculated by subtracting deaths and recovered cases from total cases.

Zones

Zone	Cases[lower-alpha 1]	Active Cases[lower-alpha 2]	Hospitalizations[lower-alpha 3]		Recovered	Deaths
			Inpatient	ICU
Far North	348	0	0	0	341	7
North	230	20	0	0	204	6
Central	172	13	0	0	158	1
Saskatoon	287	27	1	4	258	2
South	409	92	2	0	312	5
Regina	134	41	1	0	92	1
Total	1,580	193	4	4	1,365	22
Cumulative total of presumptive and confirmed cases. Active case count may be an overestimate. Active cases are calculated by subtracting deaths and recovered cases from total cases. Number of people currently hospitalized.

The regions are defined as follows:[1] Far North The region administered by the Athabasca Health Authority, and the former Keewatin Yatthé and Mamawetan Churchill River Health Regions. North The former Prairie North, Prince Albert Parkland, and Kelsey Trail Health Regions. Central The former Heartland and Sunrise Health Regions. Saskatoon The former Saskatoon Health Region. South The former Cypress, Five Hills, and Sun Country Health Regions. Regina The former Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region.

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