Sask. Health Authority declares COVID-19 community outbreak in Saskatoon

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says it is monitoring a community outbreak of COVID-19 in Saskatoon.

Dr. Johnmark Opondo, Saskatoon's chief medical health officer, declared the outbreak on May 27 after two cases one confirmed and one presumptive were recorded between May 21 and May 26.The SHA said the Saskatoon outbreak is believed to be contained and does not present any risk to the public.

The SHA released little information about the outbreak. The province'schief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said at Wednesday's daily update news conference that the cases are linked to two large gatherings where people are believed to have exceeded provincial guidelines on the number of people allowed to congregate.

"All indications at this point indicate that the situation is contained, that it was a closed, private event and that all close contacts are isolating at home," Shahab said.

He said officials have been able to contact all of those at risk, but that due to multiple households being involved, the SHA may still issue a public service announcement containing more info if appropriate.

Shahab said that while officials are working offpreliminary information, early indicators point to outdoor events that may have involved a barbecue.

In addition to the Saskatoon outbreak, the province announced two more deaths of people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total in the province to 10.

Three new cases of COVID-19, one in Regina and two in the far north, were also reported Wednesday, bringing the total in the province to 637. Of those, 68 are considered active and 559 are considered recovered.

Shahab stressed that the two new cases in Regina and the outbreak in Saskatoon are reminders of why people need to continue following best practices around physical distancing and self-isolation, and must be cautious about who they're inviting to events as restrictions around gatherings loosen.

"What this underscores is that we cannot go back to business as usual,"Shahab said.

"We still need to minimize transmission risk where we can."

Shahab said that as the number of people allowed at gatherings grows in the coming weeks, people need to think about why they're gathering and what kind of risks they may be creating.

For example, hesaid the sharing of food has been cited as a "high-risk" activity and should be mitigated with premade, single-serve dishes as opposed to buffet-style meals moving forward.

He said what the SHA learns about the latest outbreak will be shared widely to ensure people don't repeat the same mistakes.

"As this investigation proceeds, we'll provide as much information as we can and that will inform all of us as we gather with friends and family during the summer," he said.