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.
State of emergency extended
Saskatchewan’s state of emergency has been extended for another two weeks.
Premier Scott Moe made the announcement at the province’s daily update on Wednesday.
The state of emergency was originally called on March 18. Moe extended it for two more weeks on April 1.
'We need to stay the course'
The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) wants Premier Scott Moe to reconsider plans to reopen businesses.
On Monday, Moe said the province is working on a “reopen Saskatchewan” plan.
“Now is not the time to loosen the reins. We need to stay the course,” Tracy Zambroy, president of SUN, told CTV News.
Council reverses administration move to delay weekly waste collection
City Council has asked city administration to reverse a decision to delay the annual switch to weekly waste collection because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While meeting on Wednesday, council voted 6-5 in favour of implementing weekly garbage collection.
Collections are typically every week from May to the end of September and on a bi-weekly basis from October to the end of April.
But in a news release sent Tuesday afternoon, city administration had said it would postpone the switch in light of the pandemic.
New provincial COVID-19 numbers low, Saskatoon with 50 active cases
On Wednesday, the province reported three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 304, with 95 of the cases considered active.
Saskatoon, still the province's hotspot for the virus, has 50 active cases of COVID-19 and has had 147 of the cases so far.
205 people are known to have recovered from COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Federal wage top up for essential workers, CERB expanded
Part-time and seasonal workers are now eligible to claim the $2,000 Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and new money is coming for front-line workers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced.
Now, workers who are earning less than $1,000 a month, such as contract or gig economy workers, or who have seasonal employment and can’t find a job due to COVID-19, as well as those who are running out of employment insurance, can now apply to the CERB.
Trudeau said he is also working with the provinces to boost wages for essential front-line staff to keep them on the job. He said, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, wages are going to be boosted for essential workers who are making less than $2,500 a month, “as quickly as possible.”
Neither necessary nor advisable'
Canada’s premiers say there is no need to invoke the Emergencies Act, in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“At this point our collective effort to address the COVID-19 crisis, the provinces and territories have not identified any current issues that require this measure,” the letter said.
The premiers said they are confident that the provinces and territories have the ability to effectively manage through the pandemic and recovery.
Thinking outside the box
Volunteers in Kindersley have found a way for the community to come together while staying physically distant.
The Men's Action Plan group is organizing a curbside food drive for the local food bank.
"We had to think outside the box and get creative, because of the COVID-19 distancing rules," said Barry Andrew, an organizer of the food drive.
Moving 'heaven and earth' to make sanitizer
University of Saskatchewan researchers and three local companies are helping to address a provincial shortage of hand sanitizer using a campus bioprocessing facility to temporarily produce sanitizer and key ingredients, while a group of collaborating businesses gear up for larger-scale production.
The three sanitizer products include a sanitizing gel for hands, a surface sanitizer that replaces rubbing alcohol for medical uses and a workplace sanitizer for equipment.
“Over the past two weeks, we have moved heaven and earth to make this product happen in a way that meets all regulations in Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Health Canada and other federal agencies have been very helpful in expediting this,” U of S researcher Martin Reaney said in a news release.
Online pandemic haircut tutorials
First of all: you probably shouldn't cut your own hair. But if you just can't help yourself, a Regina barber is offering online tutorials to help mitigate the damage.
“It’s not going to turn out as good as going to the salon or the barber shop,” Andy Chung said. “But sometimes, it’s just about getting hair away from your ears or off your neck.”
Cameco helping out
Cameco aims to help Saskatchewan organizations hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Tim Gitzel joined CTV Morning Live host Stephanie Massicotte to explain.
"We know there's a lot of hurt going on. And we at Cameco got together and said, what can we do to help, what can we do maybe soften things a little bit for organizations that are really hurting," Gitzel said.
"So we've put in place and are announcing today a $1 million Cameco Covid Relief Fund."
'People are worried' Prince Albert woman makes masks
Lena-May Seegerts has dedicated her spare time to sewing face masks to give to health care workers, elders and people in need.
Her work with Indigenous Child and Family Services in the Athabasca region is temporarily scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic allowing her more time to sew at her Prince Albert home.
A post on Facebook about her homemade mask and has generated several enquiries from people wanting a mask – including from people in the Athabasca region of northern Saskatchewan since a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Stoney Rapids was reported in the media.
Tuesday recap
Saskatchewan had only one new confirmed COVID-19 case and nine new recoveries, the province reported on Tuesday.
The province had 301 total cases, with 110 considered active. In total, 187 people have recovered from the virus.
Saskatoon has been home to 147 of the province's confirmed cases, 56 are considered active.
Saskatchewan's premier was asking questions about why an Easter drive-in church service in Nipawin was prohibited over the weekend
A local salon owner has come up with a creative solution for deciding who will get the first appointments when businesses can finally reopen.
Salon Sava is raffling off its first appointments, each entry is a $20 donation to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre.
Also on Tuesdau, amid talk of a plan under development to gradually reopen the province, a new poll suggests most Canadians want to see significant progress in the fight against COVID-19 before they would feel comfortable with people being allowed to return to work.
