Eighteen people are hospitalized with COVID-19, including six in the north central zone, the province’s COVID-19 update said Tuesday.
The north central includes three sub-zones Prince Albert is the only community listed in North Central 2.
As of Tuesday, the north central zone as a whole, which includes regions north and south of the city, had 91 active cases of COVID-19. That means the north-central has the second highest number of active COVID cases behind Saskatoon with 101.
Prince Albert added four new cases Tuesday, bringing the city’s active case count total to 48. A total of 207 people were tested in the north central zone Monday.
According to a press release issued by the province, one case previously assigned to the north central zone as determined to be out-of-province. That case was removed from the zone’s total.
Province-wide, there were 44 new cases of COVID-19 identified Monday, bringing the current active total to 427.
Public health continues to track the source of COVID-19 spread. In Saskatoon, most of the spread seems to have originated from local nightclubs.
COVID-19 is also changing voters’ plans.
In some northern communities, the virus’ spread has meant advance and election-day in-person polls have been closed.
Instead, Elections Saskatchewan has implemented special measures. The measures apply to residents of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation communities, both members and non-members.
Ballots must be requested by today at 5 p.m. by calling -1-866-351-0040. They will be asked for their name, the community in which they live, their birthdate, address and phone number and whether they are a member of the cree nation. Interpreters can call on behalf of non-English speakers.
Applications will be handled over the phone. Closer to election day, Elections Saskatchewan workers wearing a mask will meet residents at their front door to deliver ballots. They will return to pick up the sealed, secret ballot on or before election day.
Red Earth Cree Nation voters, meanwhile, will have to travel to Carrot River to vote, also because of COVID-19 concerns.
In La Ronge, voting will go ahead in-person. Voters on mandatory isolation should also call 1-866-351-0400 for an exceptional measures voting kit by Tuesday at 5
Elections Saskatchewan said anyone who tests positive and their close contacts on self-isolation will be contacted by the Saskatchewan Health Authority to facilitate voting in the Oct. 26 provincial election.
