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COVID-19 recovered cases beat new confirmed cases for the first time in Saskatchewan

Premier Scott Moe announced on Monday that for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak hit Saskatchewan, there have been more recoveries than new confirmed cases in a single day.
Scott Moe
Photo by Jordan Stricker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Premier Scott Moe announced on Monday that for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak hit Saskatchewan, there have been more recoveries than new confirmed cases in a single day.

Four new cases were announced on Monday, with 14 more people who have recovered from COVID-19.

The provincial total of people who have recovered from the virus is now 81.

“Now that is just one day. It’s far too early for us to say whether this is any sort of trend in Saskatchewan,” said Moe.

“But it is good news. It shows that what we are doing is working. Together we are reducing the spread, we are flattening the curve,” he added.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said sustaining physical distancing, washing your hands and the other implemented measures will be key going forward.

Shahab added with community transmission within essential services becoming more apparent in Saskatchewan, supporting essential workers to minimize the spread is crucial.

“They really need to be supported to minimize transmission among themselves and from members of the public,” said Shahab.

“This means maintaining good social distancing, even in the workplace sometimes. It is easy to fall back into your old habits,” he added.

Scott Livingstone, Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO said during the press conference that as more cases continue to come to the province, they are prepared and are not in short supply when it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE). 

He added although there have been reports of medical professionals being given directions to ration PPE supplies, there is currently no shortage.

“It is always a concern as we move farther into the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been no direction across SHA to ration, but we have locked down supplies to ensure that we are using them appropriately,” said Livingstone.

The four new confirmed cases brought the total to 253. Of those cases, 169 are considered active. An active case means they are confirmed cases, minus those reported as recovered and deaths.

There are currently four people in hospital care in the province. Two are receiving inpatient care in Saskatoon, while two are currently in ICU in Regina.

To date, there have been 14,178 tests performed in the province, which is the second highest testing rate per capita among the provinces.