Sask. will return to daily reporting of COVID-19 cases after NDP raises concerns

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said Tuesday that the province will return to daily reporting of COVID-19 cases.

The government had recently moved to only providing public updates Monday to Friday.

"This past weekend we did have some higher case numbers and it did create some concern and for that reason and because we want to be as forthcoming with information as possible and we want to be as transparent as we are able we will be going back to daily reporting of case numbers," Moe said Tuesday afternoon.

Moe said the government initially decided to stop reporting on weekends because cases were "pretty stable" and to give health staff a "little bit of a breather."

On Monday, Saskatchewan Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said the provincial government should reverse its decision to only release COVID-19 case numbers on weekdays.

Meili made the request shortly after the government announced a significant spike in COVID-19 cases over the weekend.

Two new cases — one in the central region and one in the south — were reported on Saturday before case numbers jumped the next day. 

A total of 23 cases were confirmed on Sunday: 13 in the south region, five in Saskatoon, three in the central region and two in the Regina area.

Numbers rose again on Monday, with 27 new cases in the central region, two in the Regina area, one in Saskatoon and one in the south.

The province announced recently it would only disclose case numbers from Monday to Friday.

Meili said that should change.

"Saskatchewan people have stepped up but they need to have the full information if they're going to know what steps to take next," he said Monday.

"Let's make sure we're supporting Saskatchewan people by giving them all of that information in a timely and clear fashion."

The central region of the province saw the biggest spike in cases, with 35 active as of Monday. There were 20 active cases in the south as of Monday's update, while the far north — which had been the hardest hit area, with 339 total cases since the start of the pandemic — is now down to 16 active cases.

Of the 56 new cases reported Monday, 46 are linked to an outbreak investigation in the province's southwest.

"Previously reported COVID-19 infections in the southwest now stretch farther and there is growing evidence of spread throughout southwest and west-central Saskatchewan," the government said in its news release on Monday.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority said it is working with the Hutterian Safety Council "to address this situation."

Outbreaks in Hutterite communities near the town of Maple Creek, in the province's southwest, were announced in mid-June.

"Their co-operation has allowed for increased testing and contact tracing in these areas, which greatly contributed to identifying these new cases and ensuring residents are receiving the support they need," said the news release. 

Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the increase in cases can be attributed to contact tracing and testing of people who may not previously have sought it.

"Large case numbers are actually due to active case findings, because communities are working actively with public health for door-to-door testing and case finding," he said.

"That's how you see an increase in cases in people who may otherwise have mild symptoms."

Shahab said some communities need to make adaptations in how they interact because of COVID-19.

"In communal living settings, the nature of life is there may be communal areas for food or worship and some of those practices need to pause if there's an outbreak."

RMs with active cases named

On Monday, the government provided a list of rural municipalities with active cases — information that has not usually been released with new case numbers.

Cases have been recorded in the RMs of:

• Maple Creek.
• Auvergne.
• Biggar.
• Carmichael.
• Eagle Creek.
• Harris.
• Lac Pelletier.
• Newcombe.
• Perdue.
• Kellross.
• Prairiedale.

"I would like to see us continue down this level of detail," Meili said. "I don't know why this government has been so on-again, off-again. This has been a very confusing approach."

The level of detail provided Monday is welcome, he said.

"We should trust the people of Saskatchewan with more information."

Dr. Shahab said there should be a "baseline concern" for people in the province about COVID-19, regardless of where cases are publicly identified.