COVID-19 in Saskatchewan: The Week in Review, June 12

That extra gust in the Saskatchewan wind this week? It could be the collective sighs of relief from parents as they found out their kids will finally have something to do in this COVID-19 summer — and that they’re going back to school in the fall!

We’re fully into month four of the pandemic in Saskatchewan, and every week there’s a lot of new rules and numbers to keep track of. To make sure you have all the information you need, 650 CKOM is writing the week in review to tell you about the province’s reopening plans, what’s been cancelled and what Saskatchewan people are doing to lift each other up.

It was a big week for getting back to a bit of normal for Saskatchewan! Restaurants, gyms and daycares opened on Monday as part of Phase 3 of the “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan, allowing you to drop off your kid, grab a patio pint, then work it off in a socially-distanced workout.

We heard that schools will reopen in the fall, and even kids are excited about it! They also got to go to playgrounds legally as of Friday, and beaches opened just in time for a weekend heat wave.

High school and Grade 8 grads got good news too, when the province announced they *will* be able to walk across a stage in front of their family — except they can only do it in smaller groups. Those grads are already getting creative, with some of them getting to race to the podium!

P.S. read to the end of this, and you’ll be rewarded with a pretty darn-tootin’ cute wild western prairie picture in our “Week’s End Smile!”

Let’s get into it.

The numbers

After dropping to a nearly three-month low in active COVID-19 cases, the count is creeping back up a bit in Saskatchewan. But there are still fewer people sick than there were last Friday. There was even a day with zero new cases!

On Monday, we heard the sad news that two more people died of COVID-19 in the far north — one in their 60s and another in their 70s.

Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab also warned people about new cases on Clearwater Dene First Nation near La Loche, after two people tested positive for COVID-19 following a wake and a funeral this week.

A warning came from the federal government for Saskatoon as well, when they revealed people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus were on flights that arrived in Saskatoon from Toronto and Calgary.

This week’s numbers:

• 663 total cases
• 627 recoveries
• 13 deaths
• 23 active cases
• 0 in-patient hospitalizations
• 1 person in ICU

Reopening Saskatchewan

There may be a bunch of new rules in place, but with all the reopening plans in place it’s starting to feel like the beginning of a true Saskatchewan summer.

Phase 3 allowed restaurants to open at 50 per cent capacity on Monday, and people were more than eager to get in the doors! Some owners are taking their time to put out the welcome mat, making sure they had everything they needed first.

Gyms and daycares were also able to reopen, allowing families to return to more routine — though there were some new guidelines to follow. You can find the rules for all three sectors in last week’s review here.

Places of worship, like churches and mosques, were included in the start of Phase 3 — but their rules changed mid-week! Instead of a maximum of 30 people, worship services can now have up to one-third capacity or 150 people inside — whichever is lower.

The same goes for funerals and weddings held in places of worship, and we’re already hearing that couples who cancelled their nuptials are trying to book to tie the knot this summer!

Graduating teens won’t have to mope over their unused dresses and tuxedos anymore. Drive-in grads and outdoor ceremonies with a max of 30 grads and 150 attendees got the go-ahead this week too! It might be too late after some virtual grads were organized, but we know Warman High School is taking “drive-in” quite literally. They’re doing grad at Wyant Group Raceway, where they’ll even get to do a victory lap with their family. Bets on how many will pull a few tire burnouts?

School’s out for summer, but if all goes according to plan that’s all it’ll be out for! Parents got to do a happy dance when they heard kids will be heading back to class when schools reopen in the fall. We don’t know what the rules will be yet, but teachers are pushing for action on overcrowded classes so students can physically distance themselves.

In the meantime, you might get a *little* less of the “I’m boooooorrreed” from the kiddos this weekend. Or at least, if they say it parents can tell them to go play on the playground! Or everyone can jump in the car and head to the beach! Make sure to stay four metres, or 12 feet, away from others on the sand though.

This could be the last Saturday of kicking those old cans around the garage. SARCAN is opening to the public on Monday, and they’re expecting *really* long lineups. You’re only allowed one trip inside, no ducking in and out to get more bags like before. There is an option to set up online payments and just “drop and go” without having to line up.

Good news came this week for people waiting on surgeries to resume. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is firing up its next phase, which will ramp up some elective services.

Good news and helping hands

We’ve heard a lot about people who are feeling lonely through the pandemic, and there have been a bunch of programs popping up to help keep the community connected. The latest one comes from the Saskatoon Open Door Society and Saskatoon Public Library. They’re calling it the “phone buddy” system, letting people phone up a library worker for a chat.

Speaking of the Saskatoon libraries, people will finally be able to get a fresh book to read next week! The library is allowing pick up and drop off services so readers can get their literary fix. There still won’t be any late fees for now though.

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about a concert happening in Saskatchewan. But leave it to a prairie boy to find a way to bring people together! Brett Kissel is hosting a drive-in concert next weekend in the Evraz Place parking lot in Regina. What’s even better? He’s giving the proceeds to the Regina Food Bank!

REGINA!! GET READY! On Sat. June 20th, @ 7PM, I’m performing a DRIVE IN CONCERT @evrazplacelive! Vehicle passes will go on sale TOMORROW @ 10AM on https://t.co/0XDR8sLE0w – with proceeds going to The Regina Food Bank! Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do! See you next Weekend! pic.twitter.com/U4GPGXIkHx

— B R E T T K I S S E L (@BrettKissel) June 11, 2020

Speaking of drive-ins, the summer of the drive-in movie continues across the province! Pop ups are back at Northgate Mall in Regina and

SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, while the Clearwater Drive-In Theatre in Kyle is firing up for its first weekend.

But if you’re itching to get outside and hit a dinger, there could be good news on the horizon. Baseball Saskatchewan is just waiting on provincial word to get the summer season going.

Cancellations and general bummers

You’d think we’ve run out of stuff to cancel because of COVID-19, but each week we’re proven wrong.

The Huskies women’s basketball team showing off their hardware at a rally on March 11, 2020
(Dominick Lucyk, 650 CKOM)

There won’t be any clashes between the Huskies and Rams in university football this fall, after Canada West pulled the plug on 2020. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey and women’s basketball teams won’t be able to start their title defences until at least January either.

Keeping with the universities, gyms may have reopened but both campuses are still closed so the U of R gym won’t be reopening in the foreseeable future.

The track will be silent at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon too. Prairieland Park is closing the gates on the horse betting for 2020 because of COVID-19.

If you’re waiting to get your driver’s licence, be ready to wait a bit longer. SGI says its dealing with a massive backlog of people who want to get on the road.

And finally, it’s a sign of the province reopening but at the same time it’ll sting a little: Pay parking is coming back in Regina, a few weeks after Saskatoon already turned their meters back on.

Week’s End Smile

Plenty of bars reopened for Phase 3, but how about a saloon?

You might have a hard time grabbing a drink here though, since it’s SQUIRREL-SIZED!

Welcome to the Lone Star Saloon!

One of the patron’s at Dave Hunchak’s ‘One Star Saloon’