Saskatchewan is one case away from hitting 600 for a total when it comes to COVID-19.

Seven new confirmed cases of the virus were confirmed on Tuesday bringing the total to 599.  All seven of the cases are in the Far North region with four in Beauval and three in La Loche.

123 cases are considered active.

15 have recovered bringing the total to 470 with five people remaining in hospital.  Three of those five are in intensive care in Saskatoon.

Testing numbers have slowed, but Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the low positive rates are a good sign.

“The test positive rate has never gone above 3%, and currently it’s at 1.4%, so that’s really a good sign that even though our testing numbers have come down, the proportion that test positive is very low,” Dr. Shahab said. “In central parts of the province, it’s 0.4%, south (is) 0.4%, Regina 0.8% and Saskatoon 1.1%.”

The province has a testing capacity of up to 1,500 per day according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Testing numbers have not gone above 1,000 in a day since April 9th.

The province is also amending its northern travel order.

As the risk of transmission of COVID-19 has regionalized in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District, the public health order has been amended to only have travel restrictions applied to the northwest region. Travel to and from all other areas of the north – commercial, domestic and recreational as outlined in the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan – is permitted starting today.

The public health order will include clarity for northwestern community leaders, residents and checkpoint staff to ensure that people can obtain essential goods and services when travelling for medical purposes. Municipalities, First Nations and recreational subdivisions that will remain under the current public health order restricting non-essential travel are: Bear Creek, Beauval, Birch Narrows, Dene Nation, Black Point, Buffalo Narrows, Buffalo River, Dene Nation, Canoe Lake First Nation, Clearwater River Dene Nation, Cole Bay, Descharme Lake, Dillon, Dore Lake, English River First Nation, Garson Lake, Green Lake, Ile a la Crosse, Jan’s Bay, Lac La Plonge, La Loche, Little Amyot Lake, Michel Village, Patuanak, St. George’s Hill, Sled Lake, and Turnor Lake.

Saskatchewan Health Authority moving ahead with health care resumption plan

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is moving forward with a phased in approach to resuming health care not related to COVID-19.

Some of the health care programs that may resume include physiotherapy appointments, kidney health services, home care and expanded immunizations.

SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said health service resumption may look different in various areas of Saskatchewan.

“The public can expect that their health care experience is going to look different than it was prior to the pandemic because of the additional measures that we’ll have to put in place to protect both patients and staff,” Livingstone said. “In most locations, this will include adaptations of our waiting room practices, promote physical distancing, additional emphasis on virtual care whenever possible, as well as screening at all of our health care facilities.”

There is no timeline as to when the next phase of the SHA’s plan will move forward.