COVID-19 in Saskatchewan: The Week in Review, May 29

Life is still weird, but things are slowly but surely regaining some more normalcy in Saskatchewan through the pandemic.

As we stretch into week 11 of the lockdown life in the province, it can be hard trying to keep up with all of the COVID-19 news around you. That’s why 650 CKOM is putting together this week in review, to give you the cheat sheet of important information and stories that will leave you smiling heading into the weekend.

It was a mix of emotions for Saskatchewan this week, as active cases dwindled but more people died of the coronavirus in the far north. There were raised eyebrows in Saskatoon, as a “community outbreak” was declared over some families that broke gathering rules. Some businesses settled into the second week of opening after Phase 2 of the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan took effect, while others are getting ready for the next phase.

Are you looking forward to camping? Grabbing a socially-distanced patio beer? Getting back to church?

Or, how about Mosaic Stadium potentially being the centre of CFL play this fall?

We have that and more good news stories below. Let’s get into it.

The Numbers

It was a good week when it came to the number of new and active cases in Saskatchewan, but a tragic week for some families who lost loved ones.

(Nelda Maurice/Facebook)

The rate of infection dropped drastically, with only 14 new cases reported through the week while 49 more people recovered from COVID-19.

Unfortunately, the death toll increased by three. All three people were in the far north region, including 64-year-old Nelba Maurice from Ile-a-la-Crosse. A person in their 50s and another in their 80s also died, bringing Saskatchewan’s death toll from the virus to 10.

This week  the Saskatchewan Health Authority also told us about a “community outbreak” in Saskatoon, coming from two large family gatherings that broke the public health order to keep groups under 10 people. As of Thursday, there were four new cases of COVID-19 that came from those family gatherings. But Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab says the outbreak is under control, with over 60 close contacts tracked down and isolating.

Saskatchewan’s numbers:

• 641 total cases
• 570 recoveries
• 10 deaths
• 61 active cases
• 2 in-patient hospitalizations
• 2 people in intensive care

Reopening Saskatchewan

Get ready for Phase 1.5 of the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan. Campsites are opening up at half-capacity for overnight stays on Monday, kicking off June with all the socially-distanced S’mores and ghost stories you can handle.

(Government of Saskatchewan webpage)

We call it Phase 1.5 because reservations opened up a few weeks ago, before Phase 2 got started.

Speaking of Phase 2, how’s your new hairdo working out? Hairdressers and barbers have been booked solid for the past few weeks as a lot of people wanted to get rid of their pandemic mops. Massage therapists are also figuring out how to get through those knotted up muscles while staying COVID-safe.

Now we’re looking forward to Phase 3 of the plan, which will include childcare, places of worship, gyms, restaurants and personal services like tattoo artists. Plus we’ll be able to welcome a few more people to our backyards, with outdoor gathering sizes of 30 being allowed — while if you’re indoors a group of up to 15 will be okay.

With Phase 3 on the way, pubs like Winston’s in Saskatoon are figuring out the best way to get us those patio beers and scrumptious appetizers. Other businesses, like party buses, want to get in on the um… party.

Rural communities got some good news about a different reopening of sorts. The SHA is swinging open the doors to several emergency rooms in smaller hospitals in the coming weeks, after closing them due to stretched resources during the pandemic. A lot of people didn’t think the doors should have shut in the first place.

Good news and helping hands

There’s hope on the horizon for a potential COVID-19 vaccine being made right here in Saskatchewan. The U of S VIDO-Intervac team says their candidate vaccine was successful in animal trials with ferrets, so now they’re working through some tests and they’re hoping to get to human trials soon. If the vaccine is safe for humans and works, it could be approved for wide use sometime in early 2021.

If there’s a CFL season, they might be making up a bit for the fact that the Grey Cup Festival won’t be happening in Regina this year. It turns out that most of the league’s games could end up being played at Mosaic Stadium, since the league is looking at it as a potential hub for games. Premier Scott Moe says it could work.

Never underestimate Saskatchewan ingenuity. A Regina-based company came up with a way to eliminate viruses and bacteria from surfaces using an ozone gas cleaning, and now they’re getting calls from the NHL and the New York City subway about helping out with disinfecting.

They’re not the only business doing well. Lumber yards are moving a lot of wood to keep up with demand for DIY home renovations, as it turns out people really want to be able to spend time on a deck while in lockdown. RV sales are also rising as some try to escape into the bush for part of the summer.

Meanwhile, there’s been a lot of helping hands in Saskatoon working together. The Open Door Society is closing in on making a whopping 10,000 face masks to help keep people safe from COVID-19.

Cancellations and general bummers

With most of Saskatchewan’s summer cancelled already, this won’t come as much of a surprise to ball fans. The Regina Red Sox won’t be taking the field at all in 2020, with the Western Canadian Baseball League cancelling their season because of COVID-19.

The free rides on Saskatoon Transit buses are coming to an end. As of June 8, anyone riding the bus will have to load at the front doors again and pay their fare. The drivers will be protected by a vinyl screen to limit any virus transmission.

Saskatoon also saw a very dark side to the pandemic, as we found out over the weekend that a 15-year-old boy of Asian descent was pushed off his bike and allegedly told he was to blame for the pandemic. A 40-year-old man is facing an assault charge over the encounter.

Be careful about which COVID-19 links you’re clicking on (the ones in this story are safe of course). Some ne’er-do-wells are sending out fake COVID-19 surveys to cell phones to steal personal information.

Week’s End Smile

How do you make physical distancing fun, and bring smiles to children at the same time?

The answer is by wearing bright colours and running around the city in a contraption made out of hula hoops and pool noodles.

Meet Noodle Man.

Brett Williams has earned the nickname Noodle Man for his self-made social distancing contraption he wears jogging. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)