Most years, it is crime stories that dominate the list of most visited stories on humboldtjournal.ca.
Not this year. If there was a common link, most of the stories related to COVID-19 and how to deal with life with the new disease.
#1: Stay home: Creepy robo call
A creepy robo call made the rounds in Canada, but its purpose and origin remain unclear.
After the receiver picks up the call – typically from an 800 number – a pre-recorded robotic female voice says: “This is just a test call. Time to stay home. Stay safe and stay home.” Then the call disconnects.
Those who received the call said it is a little unsettling. However, you are not alone: People are getting creeped out by this strange phone message from Montreal to Tucson, Arizona.
Some Humboldt residents reported on our Facebook page that they also received the call.
#2: Masks required at Costco
For those going to Saskatoon or Regina for a shop at Costco, the chain is asking all customers to wear a mask or face covering to visit their stores.
The chain announced the updated policy online May 21.
#3: Feds expand small business program
In May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an expansion to the criteria of eligibility for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to make more owner-operated small businesses eligible.
The Canadian government made the changes to the criteria to help protect more jobs and small businesses throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government says the changes will allow for more Canadian small businesses to access interest free loans to help cover operating costs with reduced revenue during the pandemic.
#4: Six-year-old drowns in Tobin Lake
A six-year-old boy drowned in Tobin Lake after swimming with family members.
The incident occurred in the late afternoon of July 25.
“The weather conditions at the time were very windy, and the lake was very rough,” said Rob King, media relations with the Saskatchewan RCMP.
The incident has been deemed an accident.
#5: Humboldt family turns to GoFundMe
A Humboldt family found themselves making a GoFundMe account in an effort to pay for their three-year-old daughter’s medical treatments.
On March 31, Kerri Archibald and Cam Koski noticed behavioral changes with their three-year-old daughter, Brinkley Koski.
These changes included motor and verbal tics, hyperactivity, mood swings, sensory issues, obsessive–compulsive behaviors and absence seizures.
Brinkley was diagnosed with both Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Lyme Disease. The family had to pay for much of the medical attention out of pocket, as it was not covered by the healthcare system.
#6: Four unlinked COVID-19 cases found in P.A. area
Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab sent out a warning to the Prince Albert area during the province’s COVID-19 press availability on July 3. Shahab said that after many weeks with no cases there has been four cases reported in the area in the last week. The cases are not linked.
“When you see cases in the same geographical area that are not linked to one another that is always a flag that shows there is ongoing community transmission that is now emerging,” Shahab said.
#7: Police arrest five in Wakaw, seize meth
A series of arrests and searches in Wakaw and Melfort resulted in five being arrested and 29 grams of what’s suspected by the police to be methamphetamine seized.
As a result of an ongoing investigation, the Prince Albert Crime Reduction Team arrested two men and three women in a vehicle at the Shell Gas Station near Wakaw on Jan. 30.
#8: Rural hospitals to be part of response
Hospitals across Saskatchewan are preparing for a situation where they’ll need 3,329 acute care beds province-wide, with 890 of those classified as intensive care, at the peak of the pandemic.
“Our response will be staged according to increases in demand,” said Derek Miller, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s emergency operations centre lead, at a media conference that discussed the authority’s preparations for the pandemic held April 8.
Miller said the province is now working to reduce the number of beds needed for non-essential services, an effort that has freed up around 1,000 acute care beds.
#9: New supports as transition from CERB to EI begins
The transition away from the Government of Canada’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program will begin on Monday, October 5.
On Oct. 2, the COVID-19 Response Measures Act (formerly Bill C-4) received Royal Assent. This legislation creates three new temporary recovery benefits to support Canadians who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19. These benefits will be in place for one year beginning September 27.
#10: Case of COVID-19 identified in Humboldt
A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been identified in Humboldt.
Rob Muench, the city’s mayor, said March 22 he received an email from the individual. He said as soon as he saw it this morning, he contacted Director of Protective Services Mike Kwasnica, City Manager Joe Day and MLA Donna Harpauer.
“We then contacted the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and Saskatchewan Health Authority who confirmed in a conference call this afternoon that this individual has indeed tested positive,” Muench said.
“We have been working with these agencies and have established that all necessary steps are being taken.”
