COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan

 Comment: Much of this content is split from 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada, it will be shortened it if this is passed

2020 coronavirus pandemic in Saskatchewan
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Saskatchewan, Canada
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Saskatoon
Arrival date	March 9, 2020 (4 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Confirmed cases	65
Recovered
Deaths	0
Government website
Cases and Risk of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Saskatchewan is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of March 23, 2020, 5269 tests have been conducted, with 65 confirmed cases and 1 presumptive case of the disease in Saskatchewan.

Timeline

Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Officer Saqib Shahab announced the first presumptive case of in the province on March 12, a person in their 60s that had recently returned from Egypt, who was tested on March 9, and was in self-isolation at their home. By March 16, the number of presumptive cases in the province had increased to 7. On March 17, 1 new case was reported. On March 18, 8 new cases were reported. On March 19, 4 new cases were reported, bringing the provincial total to 20. On March 20, 6 new cases were reported, and 8 were confirmed. On March 21, 2020, 18 new cases were reported, including 11 healthcare workers who attended a physicians' bonspiel at a curling club in Edmonton on the week of March 11. On March 22, 8 more cases were reported. On March 23, 14 new cases were confirmed. There were now 66 cases, all but one of which were confirmed.

Government response

Citing concerns over the potential of an impending outbreak in the province, Premier Scott Moe announced on March 12 that he would not pursue a snap provincial election. Saskatchewan's next general election is scheduled for October 26, 2020. On March 13, 2020, following the second presumptive case in the province, its government announced restrictions on gatherings of more than 250 people in contiguous indoor space, as well as gatherings of more than 50 people if they include participants who had recently travelled internationally. Exceptions are permitted for retail shops. An exception for faith-based organizations was removed March 16.

As an employer, the government of Saskatchewan has sharply reduced inter-provincial and international travel on government business by any provincial employees. It has also provided that provincial employees who have travelled outside the country, whether on government business or personal travel, must self-isolate for fourteen days upon their return.

State of Emergency

On March 17, 2020, the government announced that it was delaying the introduction of the provincial budget, because the government revenue forecasts underlying it were no longer reliable, in light of the current situation. The Government would announce the planned spending, including for the health care sector, which would see an increase in funding. The same day, the Legislature passed amendments to provincial employment law, to provide unpaid job security to employees during the pandemic. The amendments passed with the support of both parties. The next day, the Legislature adjourned its spring sitting, with the consent of the Opposition.

Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency on March 18, which included a ban of all gatherings of 50 people or more, restricting capacity of restaurants and similar venues to a maximum of 50 or half (whichever is lower), mandatory closure of all fitness facilities, casinos, and bingo halls, shifting all provincial government entities and crown corporations to remote work on March 23, authorizing the Saskatchewan Health Authority to "redeploy nurses and other staff and ensure medical supplies and personal protective equipment are available when needed and reduce risk of further exposure to our care providers and patients", and advising against non-essential travel outside of the province.

On March 20, Premier Moe signed an order allowing regulations issued pursuant to the state of emergency by the government or chief medical officer, enforceable under provincial law. Law enforcement agencies are granted the authority to enforce these measures, which can be punishable by fines or arrest. The government subsequently announced that all travellers returning to Saskatchewan from outside of the country (including the United States), and those identified as close contacts of individuals that tested positive, are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days, punishable by $2,000 fine. Notice of this requirement was issued via Alert Ready. Essential travellers such as working crews, transport workers and health care workers are exempt. Effective March 23, all gatherings of 25 people or more are prohibited unless all patrons are capable of maintaining a distance of 2 metres from each other. Restaurants, bars and nightclubs must transition to takeout service only; bars and nightclubs may only do so if patrons are capable of maintaining a distance of 2 metres from each other. All recreational, entertainment, and personal service facilities must close.

The municipal governments of Gravelbourg and provincial capital Regina declared their own state of emergency with stricter restrictions than those enforced by the province. Regina announced an intent to ban all public meetings larger than 5 people or more (outside of home or workplace, or essential services), and order the closure of retail stores in specific categories to in-person shopping (including clothing, furniture, games, sporting goods, and toys) effective March 23. Gravelbourg similarly ordered that all businesses be closed to the public for 14 days (delivery and curbside pickup would still be allowed), and that only up to five employees could be in a building at any one time Mayor Michael Fougere stated that he hoped that the provincial government "will look at [these restrictions] over time and say it would agree with [them]." On March 22, the province issued a news release stating that "if a municipality implements an order which provides contrary standards, the province will take measures to ensure that the provincial emergency measure takes precedence." Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr explained that "during this time of great uncertainty, it is of the utmost importance that we provide certainty to Saskatchewan residents and make every effort to minimize confusion", and cited Regina's attempts to close retail stores as an example of a restriction where provincial decisions take precedence.

School closures

The University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan voluntarily suspended in-person classes on March 16, and will switch to online courses for the remainder of the semester. On March 16, the province announced that all public schools will "wind down" over the week, and close indefinitely on March 20. No academic penalties will be issued for students that do not attend school during the week of March 20, final grades will be issued based on existing progress, and eligible Grade 12 students will be able to graduate.