The provincial government says COVID-19 is to blame for a 319 million dollar deficit in the final results for the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Finance minister Donna Harpauer says in a news release that Saskatchewan was on track for a balanced budget this year, but instead will need to deal with a $4.2 billion deficit.

The fourth quarter of 2019-20 saw a decline of $490 million in revenue, while total expenses saw an increase of 1.4% up to $15.21 billion.

Harpauer adds every jurisdiction in the world has been impacted financially and economically by this pandemic, but Saskatchewan is still in a favorable position to recover from COVID-19.