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.

Six new cases

On Thursday the province said there were six new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing Saskatchewan's total number of cases so far during the pandemic to 389.

Just one new case, in La Loche, was reported in Saskatchewan's far north Thursday, a day after a death related to the virus and an increase of 11 new cases was reported in the region.

Eighty-eight cases in the province were considered active as of Thursday, with 50 of the cases concentrated in the far north.

Lloydminster also saw two new cases.

So far 295 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, the province said.

Northern outbreak would be devastating, expert says

It would be devastating if COVID-19 started moving through northern First Nations communities, an Ontario expert says.

David Fisman is a professor in the Division of Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

"The La Loche outbreak is the first I am aware of in an isolated Northern First Nations community. These communities may have been protected in part by their remoteness, but COVID-19 spreading through such communities is potentially disastrous," he said.

Wage top-up for some essential workers

The provincial government is increasing salaries of vulnerable citizens who are working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with a $400 per month temporary wage supplement.

“This benefit is being provided to recognize the important contribution that these workers are making by going to work and supporting our most vulnerable residents at this challenging time,” said Premier Scott Moe.

'An upper lip lick'

Two experts viewed footage of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to see if they could extract hidden details about how he is genuinely feeling about the health crisis. 

They analyzed two videos. The first one was Moe’s live-broadcasted address, announcing plans to reopen the economy. Moe was the first leader in Canada to announce such plans. In the second video, Moe talks about an increase in new COVID-19 cases during a press conference.

Child care options for those returning to work

Anyone returning to work under phase one or two of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan will have access to licensed child care services, the province announced in a release Thursday.

More than 2,100 school-based child care spaces are currently operating as part of a reserve supply for pandemic response workers. These facilities will be accessible to other parents returning to work, the province said Thursday

“We still have a significant number of spaces available in the school-based child care facilities, so we are going to be opening those spaces to other workers who may require childcare now or in the weeks ahead as we begin to implement the very first couple of phases of the reopened Saskatchewan plan,” said Premier Scott Moe said at a press conference Thursday.

Library on track

Plans for a new downtown library have not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the board chair of the Saskatoon Public Library (SPL).

Land for the new facility was purchased for $9 million and the project is moving ahead as planned.

"We've been going ahead with the planning work. And that was all being drawn from a reserve fund. And that money was in place. So we've been continuing as planned," Brett Bradshaw said.

More travel restrictions

A new Public Health Order restricts all non-critical travel into and out of northern Saskatchewan — even for those with primary residences in the region.

“Our government recognizes the unique challenges that northern communities are facing in fighting the spread of COVID-19,” Premier Scott Moe said in a news release Thursday.

“We are providing direct supports to northern communities and businesses to ensure the necessary resources are available, while imposing further restrictions to ensure the necessary steps are being taken to reduce the spread and flatten the curve in the north.”

COVID-19 leads to added prescription fees

People in Saskatchewan who rely on regular prescription refills may face increased dispensing costs due to a shortage in most medications.

In March, the health ministry restricted prescription refills to a 30-day supply at the recommendation of distributors and manufacturers based on a sudden surge of medication fills nationally affecting the supply.

No mass gatherings, period

Saskatchewan residents aren’t allowed to gather in groups of more than 10 people, even if physical distancing is maintained properly.

The province said it’s aware of recent events where organizers thought they could go ahead as long as people could stay two metres apart. However, the province says group events aren’t allowed and gatherings with more than 10 people violate the public health order.

At the province’s daily update on Wednesday afternoon, Premier Scott Moe said the plan to re-open the province isn’t an invitation to relax public health orders.

“That is a complete misinterpretation of what we’ve been saying,” Moe said.

Call for more controls to limit COVID-19 spread in north

As head of the local emergency response team working to control COVID-19 in Saskatchewan's north, Rick Laliberte says he's seeing too many gaps the virus could easily slip through.

“We have authority but it’s like Swiss cheese, it has a lot of holes in it,” the incident commander with the Northwest Community Incident Command Center (NWCICC) in Beauval, Sask. said.

“Give us the authority on the municipal level to do community containment, to do a full lockdown in each of our communities.”

Wednesday recap

On Wednesday, the province reported that COVID-19 has claimed a sixth life in Saskatchewan. A person in their 80s from the province's north died from complications related to the virus.

The news came after an 83-year-old resident of a long-term care facility in La Loche died in hospital on Sunday, the fifth COVID-19 victim in the province.

As of Wednesday, there were 17 new cases of the virus, 11 of which were found in Saskatchewan's far north, where 52 of the province's 86 active cases are located.

 A person at the Beauval General Store tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

Customers who shopped or bought gas at thestore between April 12 and April 27 are instructed by the SHA to self-isolate until May 12 and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.

Four new cases of COVID-19 in Lloydminster have been linked to a cluster based in Lloydminster Hospital, according to the province.

The SHA declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the hospital on Sunday - but didn’t tell the public until three days later.

So far there have been 383 cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, with 291 recoveries.

Phase one of the Reopen Saskatchewan plan will still begin on Monday while exlcuding La Loche and Lloydminister, due to the outbreaks in those communities.

On Wednesday, the Premier also extended the provincial state of emergency by two weeks.