The first case of the Coronavirus COVID-19 has been reported in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Provincial Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab confirmed the case on Monday morning.
The resident is an individual in their 60s with recent travel to Egypt. According to the news release the individual was tested March 9 in Saskatoon and was well enough to self-isolate at home. Public health officials have been in regular contact with this individual.
The Roy Romandow Provincial Laboratory reported the positive lab sample on March 12 and forwarded it to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for confirmation.
“The province’s first case is linked to travel from a country where local transmission of COVID-19 has been reported,” Dr. Shahab said. “This supports the expanded testing criteria of symptomatic travelers to better prepare Saskatchewan’s response to the COVID-19 event. All travelers need to monitor their symptoms for two weeks upon return home.”
A contact investigation is underway and will connect with the individual’s close contacts. The news release stated that if you do not receive a call from public health you are not at risk of transmission of COVID-19 from this individual.
Shahab adds that “while the risk of acquiring COVID-19 in Saskatchewan continues to be low, increased testing will assist us in detecting cases as early as possible and delaying the spread of the illness as long as possible.”He adds that “it is critical that residents take precautions to protect themselves against respiratory illness. Wash your hands frequently, practice good cough and sneeze hygiene and stay home if you are sick.”
"The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority have dedicated planning teams in place,” Saskatchewan Health Minister Jim Reiter said in a news release. “Our government is committed to providing the resources our public health system requires to mitigate and respond to COVID-19.”
