La Loche and the surrounding vicinity have emerged as a major hotspot of cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Talk of how to address the outbreak in the northern community dominated the premier’s news conference on COVID-19 cases Monday, where officials confirmed a fifth death in the province from complications of the virus.
“Sadly today we are also mourning the loss of another Saskatchewan resident as a result of COVID-19,” said Premier Scott Moe.
The province confirmed the individual was a Saskatchewan resident in their 80s from the "Far North region". It is now known the individual was an elder from that community who died in hospital in North Battleford, according to reports quoting the mayor of that community Robert St. Pierre.
On the Facebook page of the Northern Village of La Loche, a post on Sunday stated “the Northern Village of La Loche wishes to extend its sympathy to Joseph (Pierre Bannock) Sylvestre’s family with the news of the passing in North Battleford. We can only imagine your pain at his loss especially during these difficult times with COVID-19 threatening us all and interfering with normal grieving processes.”
As of April 27, 2020, Saskatchewan has 12 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial total to 365. A total of 11 new cases are from the far north, with one from the north region.
The province has confirmed a total of 29 cases in La Loche, with most cases connected to an outbreak at an oilsands camp in northern Alberta. Another nine cases are linked to nearby communities.
Dr. Rim Zayed, of Saskatchewan Health Authority, said of the 29 cases in La Loche, 26 are related to travel to northern Alberta; two are cases from long term care. Two cases involve health care workers.
There are now a total of 42 cases in the far north region – more than half the active cases. A Public Health Order is in effect in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District restricting all non-essential travel into and out of northern Saskatchewan.
Premier Moe said the Saskatchewan Health Authority will expand the number of testing sites in La Loche and support in-home testing. Drive-through testing will continue, and a list of people who have returned from work camps in Alberta and those individuals are being asked to self-isolate, Moe said.
Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the most recent death “underscores our vigilance to remain steadfast in order to take all necessary precautions to prevent further transmission.”
Shahab also noted whenever there is a cluster or outbreak, testing is ramped up to assist in the investigation. He also noted whenever there is an outbreak, “there is a further focus on cases and contacts and settings,” so if there is an institutional setting, testing may be recommended for everyone in that setting, and contacts may be prioritized for testing.
Dr. Zayed said in La Loche they were doing around 30 tests per day, and with the contact tracing people are being monitored every day.
There were also questions posed about a possible outbreak linked to the Confederation Inn in Saskatoon.
Dr. Shahab confirmed there is an investigation ongoing in connection to individuals accessing health services in Saskatoon and the hotel they were staying. He said actions had also been taken to limit further transmission there.
There were other concerns expressed at the news conference that Saskatchewan residents might be disrespecting the physical distancing and other guidelines. Premier Moe said he heard of “one event that may have occurred this weekend.”
It was “deeply disappointing on a number of levels that an organization would organize an event given where we are,” he said.
Moe also referred to the province’s “collective success” in dealing with COVID-19 and said “I would hate to see that be undermined in any way, shape or form in any part of the province by individuals that are organizing large events or looking at ways to circumvent or get around the recommendations that Dr. Shahab has made. This success that we are enjoying is not guaranteed to continue, and is certainly not guaranteed to continue if we don’t take our personal responsibility very seriously by (a) not organizing these types of events and (b) if there are large events that we simply don’t attend them. I find that disappointing.”
