COVID-19 in Saskatchewan: The Week in Review, June 19

The official start to summer is here, and it might be closer to a normal break for kids than we thought it was going to be a few months ago!

Though the rules of your kid’s camp, pool or sport might be a bit different.

As more of Saskatchewan opens back up after the pandemic lockdown, there’s a lot of COVID-19 news to keep track of. How many active cases are there and where? What are the rules for each stage of reopening? What’s going on with schools?

650 CKOM is staying on top of the answers to all those questions, and we’re gathering all the answers here in our week in review. We’re also collecting all the good news stories, cancellations and a “week’s end smile” to send you into the weekend informed and delighted!

It was another break-neck pace when it came to COVID-19 news in Saskatchewan this week. Outbreaks at a far north First Nation and two far south Hutterite colonies led to spikes in cases. Guidelines for summer activities and the fall return to school were released. We found out just how much some local businesses are struggling, with the financial lifeline from the federal government potentially posing a problem – just as that lifeline gets extended!

All that while Saskatchewanians keep finding things to do, and ways to bring smiles to everyone around them – whether it be through simulating a trek up the world’s tallest mountain while staying in Canada’s flattest province, or by teaching the world how to dance effectively.

There’s a lot to get caught up on, so here we go.

The numbers

After several weeks of the active COVID-19 case count going down in Saskatchewan, it was a shock for a lot of people when Monday’s numbers came in: 18 new cases. It was the largest jump in nearly a month, and served as a reminder for what the coronavirus can do when guards are let down.

The majority of those cases came from a funeral and wake the week before at Clearwater River Dene Nation north of La Loche. But the Dene Nation’s chief was adamant that people shouldn’t blame the family who tried to follow the rules to hold the funeral.

Just a few days later an outbreak was declared on the opposite end of the province, when two Hutterite colonies in the Maple Creek area combined for 16 cases. Travel to Alberta might have sparked the outbreak.

The good news is there were no deaths reported this week, and there are only four people in hospital.

This week’s tally:

716 total cases
636 recoveries
13 deaths (unchanged)
67 active cases
3 in-patient hospitalization
1 person in ICU

Reopening Saskatchewan

Grab the bathing suits and baseball bats! Phase “4.1” is right around the corner, and it’s going to make Saskatchewan’s summer feel a lot more normal for kids and parents.

The first part of Phase 4 starts on Monday, allowing Saskatchewan’s outdoor pools and splash parks to open up. Day camps are also getting the go-ahead, along with outdoor sports for all ages.

That doesn’t mean everything will be ready for Monday though! We know Saskatoon’s city-run pools and camps need to re-hire staff and get them trained, so it’s looking more like early July. Plus sports leagues need to ramp back up before games start.

But here are the rules you need to know in case something does open in time:

Pools/spray pads/splash parks

Kids “should” be accompanied by adults to ensure rule compliance
People must remove face masks before entering the pool
Barriers and one-way floor markers are recommended
Public and staff must keep two metres distance between each other, even in the pool (unless you’re in the same household)
Swimmers have to take a cleansing shower before entering the pool area
Pools and splash parks are limited to a maximum of 100 people
Facility-provided towels and linens must be washed and dried on the highest temperature between each use
Swimming lessons and fitness classes are allowed, but have to be outside of public swim times
Diving boards and slides are allowed, as long as they’re cleaned regularly
Lifeguards must receive COVID-19 first aid training
Saunas and steam rooms must stay closed

Day camps

Maximum of 15 children allowed per building space

A pre-COVID day camp at the Saskatoon YMCA
Staff members assigned to a group of children cannot interact with other groups
Staff must minimize physical contact between kids
Staff should promote physically-distant greetings like “air-fives” and waves
No full-contact sports allowed
No singing, unless masks are worn
Drinking fountains should be closed, but water bottle fill stations are permitted
Checking temperatures is NOT required or recommended
If a kid starts showing COVID-19 symptoms at the camp, they should be isolated until a parent or guardian collects them

Outdoor sports

Sports on soccer pitches, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, lawn bowling greens, football fields and basketball courts are allowed
Full contact sports like tackle football, rugby, wrestling, ball hockey and field hockey are NOT allowed
Group sizes must follow provincial guidelines (currently capped at 30 people)
Teams are allowed to play each other, but practice and scrimmage for a single team is the most recommended activity
Benches and bleachers must be set up to allow a minimum of two metres distance
Chewing tobacco, sunflower seeds, spitting and sharing beverages is NOT allowed
No high-fives or handshakes
Cheering and whistling should be minimized
Locker rooms must stay closed
Water fountains will be closed, but water bottle filling stations are allowed
Team fundraising must use contactless payment
Shared equipment must be cleaned frequently

Good luck on not cheering during your beer league baseball game!

As we mentioned, this is just the first part of Phase 4. Phase “4.2” still doesn’t have a date, and that includes indoor pools, rinks, theatres, casinos, libraries, museums, galleries and bingo halls.

Parents also got to know more about how it’s going to work when their kids get back to the books at school in the fall! The provincial government released their guidelines for the school return, which didn’t include any face mask requirements or mandatory physical distancing for younger kids.

Here’s the breakdown of Saskatchewan’s school rules:

Where possible, students and staff should have their own hand sanitizer
Masks and eye protection aren’t required, except when dealing with a sick student
Staff, parents and students should encourage minimizing physical contact, rather than enforcing physical distancing
Modified building entry should promote physical distancing, such as staggered entry or separate group entrances
Staggered recess, lunch and snack times to improve physical distancing
Kids from same household, such as siblings, don’t need to physically distance
School buses should have assigned seating
Buses must be cleaned between each run
Staff are recommended to stay with the same group of kids all day
No shared recess equipment
Checking temperatures isn’t required or recommended
Sick students and staff should stay home, but symptoms like headaches and cramps don’t fall under this requirement
Schools must have an isolation area to place kids if they develop COVID-19 symptoms while at school
Parents will be asked to transport their own kids where possible
Pick up and drop off will be encouraged to take place outside the school

With the start of school still over two months away, it’s still possible these rules will change. If the teachers have their way, there will be more rules coming on the safety front. But for now, you can load up on the hand sanitizer and start teaching your kids games where they stay two metres apart!

Meanwhile, high school grads figured out a way to strut across a stage and get their diplomas already. They’re working with their schools to put together grad ceremony videos, going individually to their schools to have their moment — which is pre-recorded and spliced in with everyone else’s special moments.

And they’re still taking some epic, physically-distanced grad photos!

Good news and helping hands

Each weekend it feels like there’s more to do! SaskTel Centre is still bringing in people for a giant drive-in theatre, expanding it to more days each weekend.

They won’t have to use a screen next weekend though! Brett Kissel will be in town, doing a series of drive-in concerts in Saskatoon. But first he pays a visit to Regina this weekend. The best part about these concerts is Kissel is giving the money he makes over to the local food banks!

Are looking for a challenge that will get you out of the car or off the couch? How about doing the same kind of physical work it would take to climb Mount Everest, all while staying in the flattest province? It’s not easy, but Brett Vancise managed to bike the same height by going up and down a hill in Regina Beach. It took him 243 laps to cover the 309 kilometres he needed to make it into the “Everesting” hall of fame!

Okay, that’s probably a bit intense for the average person (this writer would make it two laps before going to find some beach fries).

With the beaches open again, you could still stick around Regina Beach for some fun. Their inflatable waterpark is opening Saturday, allowing you to go on swings, slides and even a giant “blob” in the middle of the water.

Campers will get a boost next week. National parks are opening up some of their campsites, allowing you to escape all the COVID craziness for a night in the wild.

Waskesiu at Prince Albert National Park.
(650 CKOM)

And if you’re itching for hockey, there *might* be good news for the fall. The WHL says it fully plans to go ahead with their season on Oct. 2 if they get approval from health authorities. The problem? They need to be able to fill arenas to 50 per cent capacity, and they need approval from SIX different provinces and states.

On a more serious level, people who are out of a job because of the pandemic got some relief this week when they found out the federal CERB payments would continue into August. There is a bummer side to this for business owners though…

Cancellations and general bummers

Some business owners are getting fed up with the federal CERB program, which provides people with $2,000 a month if they’re out of work because of COVID-19. According to the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s Steve McLellan says some people are “faking it,” making it harder for businesses to bring back staff and open up. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour says the opposite is true, and workers are “anxious” to get back.

The scary part is there’s a lot of talk about how few jobs might be out there in the end. Almost half of Saskatchewan’s small businesses aren’t sure if they’ll be able to flip those closed signs to open again. Ever.

Sticking with numbers, there was a big bummer for the Sask Party government this week when it had to reveal a whopping $2.4 billion deficit because of COVID-19. The tricky part is, no-one knows how the government is going to dig their way out of the hole. Will services be cut? Taxes increased? Time will tell.

It was a tough week for sports fans, especially in Saskatoon.

The Dog’s Breakfast football fundraiser was cancelled completely, meaning Jim McMahon won’t be sharing as many Bears stories in the Bridge City. And if the Huskies hockey teams play in January, they won’t be playing their biggest rivals since the University of Alberta pulled the plug on their team sports for the year.

The situation isn’t much better for the home of the Regina Cougars and Pats. Evraz Place is expecting losses in the millions due to not being able to host any events through the pandemic.

At least the hockey teams might have a season. With university football cancelled, some fifth years are having a hard time coping with the fact their last hoorah was taken away from them.

Agribition was set for a big 5-0 birthday party in their 50th year, but the big farm show will have to hold off on blowing out the candles until next year.