The Saskatchewan Government has confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases in the province, bringing the total up to 104.
Six cases were the result of community transmission. Four of those cases are people 19 years of age and under; all of the other cases are adults. Six have required hospitalization, one in the north, three in Regina and two in Saskatoon. Three are patients in the ICU.
The central zone, which houses Lloydminster and area is at eight cases, with one new case and one person having recovered. As of March 26th, 470 tests have been performed in the area, with 433 negative results and 18 pending tests. Provincially, 7,580 tests have been performed, with 7,148 negatives.
The Government has also announced that they are taking steps to stop the spread of coronavirus in prison facilities. The move comes after two workers at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre tested positive for COVID-19. No inmates have tested positive, but one is on quarantine for what is believed to be a non-COVID related illness.
The province is working on providing priority testing to prison facility workers and staff exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to contact a health care provider and to notify their supervisor of their concerns. Nurses are also watching for symptoms among the offender population, and are to ensure that proper testing and assessment is done.
When there is a suspected illness among the offender population in a custody facility, the facility director put disease specific precautions in place, including the use of medical cells or other isolated areas.
The Ministry of Corrections and Policing is also working on providing protective equipment to staff, limiting programming to smaller groups of inmates and how to use existing space to separate people during the pandemic.
