SASKATOON -- Check back throughout the day for the latest on COVID-19 in Saskatoon and area.
If you're concerned you might be infected with COVID-19, the Saskatchewan COVID-19 self assessment tool is a helpful resource.
Here's advice on how to practice physical/social distancing and how to properly self-isolate at home. Struggling financially because of COVID-19? Support may be available from the federal government and the province.
One new confirmed case, 38 active cases in city
There was one new case of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan as of Monday, the province said in its daily update on numbers.
Saskatchewan's total number of cases sits at 326, 74 of the cases are considered active.
Over half of the province's active cases are concentrated in Saskatoon, with 38 in the city.
So far Saskatoon has been home to 149 confirmed cases of the virus.
Saskatoon businesses ask for leeway
As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens across the globe, the Saskatoon business community is hoping for more leeway from city hall when it comes to paying utility bills and property taxes.
Darla Lindbjerg, CEO with the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce penned a letter to city councillors and the mayor asking for an extension on payment deferrals to the end of 2020.
Previously, Saskatoon city council voted in favour of deferring property tax and utility payments until the end of September 2020.
Return of the mullet?
With salons being closed since March 23, stylists are hearing from clients who are in a bind, especially those who colour or highlight their hair.
Carla Unger has had some clients ask if they can get an appointment even though the salon is closed and there are many different types of issues.
"There’s some that have done hair colour or home kits or highlighting or they've decided to give themselves bangs. Who knows what we're dealing with," Unger told CTV News.
City closing Cranberry Flats Conservation Area
With the spring thaw in full swing, the City of Saskatoon said Cranberry Flats Conservation Area will be temporarily closed.
The city said the decision to limit access to the popular outdoor destination was made to support the current provincial restriction on gatherings of more than 10 people.
Ribfest cancelled
Another popular summer event has been taken off the calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Saskatoon Ribfest, which was supposed to run from July 31 through Aug. 3 has been cancelled.
Phones for students without internet access
Starting Monday, as many as 600 smartphones will be distributed to students without internet access in Saskatoon.
On March 16, the Government of Saskatchewan announced it would be suspending schools indefinitely because of the pandemic, and every student would receive a final grade based on their current grade, with the caveat being that students would have the option to do additional work online if they needed to improve that grade.
“Getting (the phones) in the hands of grade 12 students is the first priority,” Saskatoon Teachers’ Association (STA) president John McGettigan.McGettigan said.
The city's public and Catholic school divisions are purchasing the phones from SaskTel at a discount.
Businesses face challenges
Brent Fitzpatrick was driving to work last month when he had an epiphany.
"What I realized was that businesses need a really easy way to communicate. At that particular time it was companies that were looking for hand sanitizer, wipes, to help their business get cleaned up," said Fitzpatrick, the executive director of the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber created a Facebook page called "This Business Can ..." to tell people in the Humboldt area which businesses can provide which services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As weather warms, spread out when getting out
As people head out to enjoy the warmer weather, the province says it’s important to maintain proper physical distancing from people outside of your household.
Public health measures include staying at least two metres away from others, avoiding shared spaces, keeping children away from group settings and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you return home.
“(We need to) maintain these key measures that have served us so well,” Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said.
'People are struggling'
A Regina woman says disrupted routines during the COVID-19 pandemic are especially challenging for people living with mental illness.
Tanya Condo has been living with bi-polar disorder for more then two decades. She said this past month has been challenging for her in many ways.
“I feel like my coping skills have to be amped up because there is just so much going on and so much anxiety in the world right now,” she said.
“It’s like I’m feeling some of that collective anxiety that the whole world is facing and it’s kind of turned the volume dial up a little bit.”
Wildlife rehab getting more calls
Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation Executive Director Jan Shadick says initially when COVID-19 began shutting things down she was concerned there would be fewer tips about animals in need.
Instead, she said she's finding the opposite, saying with more people at home and watching nature, they’ve been receiving more calls reporting animals in need of assistance, including a call about a baby fox that got trapped in ice.
Remote witnessing for wills
As a result of physical distancing requirements, the province of Saskatchewan has introduced regulations to allow wills to be witnessed remotely.
One of the two people witnessing the will must be a lawyer.
Also, as we learned in March shortly before the province's first COVID-19 case, it theoretically could be written on a McDonald's napkin.
Open Door Society making masks
Saskatoon’s Open Door Society wants to distribute 10,000 masks to other community organizations the city.
The society is looking for donors and has already amassed local sponsors and partners including Willows Dental Clinic and the University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry.
Huawei donates PPE to FSIN
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) has received a shipment of 10,000 surgical masks from Huawei Canada, according to FSIN vice chief David Pratt.
Weekend recap
On Sunday, the provincial government said there were two new known cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of cases to 315, with 77 considered active.
Saskatoon has had 148 cases so far during the pandemic, with 39 cases considered active.
One of the Saskatoon cases was considered "presumptive" as of Sunday.
On Saturday the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said new cases of COVID-19 are linked to travel between north-west Saskatchewan and Alberta.
There have been reports of a number of COVID-19 cases identified at an oil sands facility north of Fort McMurray, the SHA said while advising against any non-essential travel.
The news came a day after Saskatchewan’s top doctor announced an outbreak in northern Saskatchewan, with four COVID-19 cases in La Loche.
A week after a church in Nipawin scrapped plans for a drive-in Easter service over the concerns of health officials, the province offered more clarity for any churches hoping to plan a similar, physically-distanced gathering.
