The Federal Government announced on Monday, July 6 that seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), or Allowances will receive their one-time, tax-free payment this week without needing to apply.

“It is important that we help seniors in Canada through this difficult time. With this one-time tax-free payment, we are continuing to support seniors to ensure they are able to get the essentials they need. As we go through this unprecedented challenge, we are providing a variety of measures that support seniors and ensure they know that we are with them and they are not left behind, ” Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors said in a release.

This announcement comes because seniors across Canada continue to face health, economic, and social challenges due to COVID-19. Many seniors are facing higher costs for food and services due to physical distancing restrictions, while others are paying more in dispensing fees to get the same medication or paying a premium for deliveries.

Seniors who reside in Canada can expect to receive the payment by direct deposit or cheque this week, whereas seniors who reside outside Canada can expect this one-time payment in July for those on direct deposit, or by cheque with delays given international postal disruptions.

Through several measures, the Government is providing about $900 for low-income single seniors and more than $1,500 for low-income senior couples, in addition to their existing benefits, to help with extra costs during the pandemic.

The large majority of OAS pensioners, nearly 85 per cent, have after-tax income below $50,000. Seniors receiving the GIS live on incomes below $18,600 a year for singles and below $24,576 a year for couples.

Seniors eligible for the OAS pension will receive a payment of $300, and those seniors also eligible for the GIS will receive an additional $200, for a total of $500. Allowance recipients will also receive $500. This $2.5 billion investment in financial support will help Canadian seniors cover increased costs caused by COVID-19.

Approximately 6.7 million seniors who are eligible for the OAS pension and 2.2 million who are eligible for the GIS will benefit from this payment according to the release.

The province announced on Friday that the Chief Medical Health Officer’s public health order will be amended to expand visiting guidelines to facilities including acute and long-term care, personal care and group home settings starting Tuesday, July 7.

At the province’s COVID-19 press availability on Friday Premier Scott Moe addressed some of the logic behind the initial restrictions put in place and how they were tough to balance.

“On one hand we all know how important it is for patients in hospital and our parents and our grandparents in long term care homes to have the support of their family and on the other hand we also know that the most dangerous and deadly outbreaks in Canada and elsewhere have been in health facilities, in particular in senior’s homes. So it was absolutely crucial that we protected the patients, the residents and the staff in each of those facilities,” Moe said.

Moe thought the restrictions had worked and that the province could now move forward.

“We have not been hit by the kinds of outbreaks in our senior’s homes in Saskatchewan that we have seen in other places. But at the same time we understand how hard it has been for seniors and their families not to be able to visit in person,” Moe said.

This standard will be applied across all settings to ensure clarity for patients and residents, family and friends, and the health care staff to ensure that family and support presence can occur in a safe manner as the COVID-19 pandemic event continues.

“Today we are loosening those restrictions to allow more in person visits while at the same time we are making every attempt to protect our patients, to protect our residents, to protect our family members, as well as to protect the staff in these facilities from the spread of COVID-19,” Moe said.

Beginning July 7 two family members or support persons can be identified to support patients and residents.

“Only one support person or family member can be present in the facility at a time. Two people can be present at one time for maternal services, for our critical care services, intensive care or palliative care patients. Additional family members or support persons may be identified for end of life, for palliative and intensive critical care as outlined in the Saskatchewan Health Authority family presence guidelines.
“I am pleased that we are able to allow more opportunities to visit family and loved ones in these facilities while still insuring every precaution to keep patients, our residents and staff safe is in place,” Moe said.

Two people can be present at one time if physical distancing can be maintained for: Critical care/intensive care patients, end of life/palliative care patients or residents and Maternal Services Units (Maternal and Postpartum Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Units)

Chief Medical Health Officer Saqib Shahab explained that the new measures will add a level of complexity.

“Staff have to be screened and they have to use proper PPE and of course visiting outside the facility in summer for example is a safer way to visit but that also means extra resources,”

“Extra precaution requires both staff to take precaution but also visitors to be cautious, not visiting if they are not well or if they have been exposed to a high risk situation in 14 days or over and also making it easy for the staff to support that visit even as the restrictions are opened up a bit,”

Family members and support persons must follow safety requirements including the wearing of a medical grade mask, physical distancing, hand hygiene, limited movement within a facility or home according to current public health orders.

Additional family members or support persons may be identified for end of life, palliative and intensive/critical care, as outlined in the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Family Presence Guidelines, which are available at the SHA website.

“I am pleased that we are able to allow more opportunities to visit family and loved ones in these facilities while still insuring every precaution to keep patients, our residents and staff safe is in place,” Moe said.

These guidelines will apply to patients, outpatients, clients and residents in SHA facilities, long-term care homes and affiliate organizations, personal care homes, and Ministry of Social Services Group Homes. Settings that require additional time to ensure adequate supplies of PPE, appropriate and safe visit spaces, and health screening of visitors may take until July 13 to fully implement the new guidelines.
Shahab also noted that everyone should be more careful.

“Extra precaution requires both staff to take precaution but also visitors to be cautious, not visiting if they are not well or if they have been exposed to a high risk situation in 14 days or over and also making it easy for the staff to support that visit even as the restrictions are opened up a bit,” Shahab said.

Before planning to visit a care or group home, call ahead to determine the requirements of that facility as they may require a scheduled appointment.

Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab sent out a warning to the Prince Albert area during the province’s COVID-19 press availability on Friday. Shahab said that after many weeks with no cases there has been four cases reported in the area in the last week. The cases are not linked.

Shahab explained that in other cases where there is known contacts it is less of a level of concern.

“When you see cases in the same geographical area that are not linked to one another that is always a flag that shows there is ongoing community transmission that is now emerging,” Shahab said.

“Right now there is a caution for Prince Albert we have to watch that. But if in the future there is increased transmission in a particular community then extra precautions may include slowing down or reconsidering visitation to long-term care facilities.”

He advised everyone to continue to take precautions in the area, especially because the four cases were not related.

“I think it is definitely the message for the Prince Albert area is that if you have symptoms stay home, consider getting tested or calling 811. Even if you don’t have symptoms and you are planning a get together or a gathering be considerate of who is coming, maintain that physical distancing in terms of how you lay things out,” he said.

He advised everyone to be considerate of those at high risk even if they are in your household or expanded household.

“I think we need to watch very closely to see emergent settings where in the past there were no cases and then there is a bit of a concern in the Prince Albert area,” Shahab said.

“We will have to keep monitoring and using extra precautions throughout Saskatchewan when something like this emerges and hopefully as we go into spring our own actions can really flatten the curve. I think that we all have to be aware of what is happening locally and to reconsider what we were planning even socially and be more cautious of things we practice all of the time if there is a local outbreak or increase in transmission.”

A 14th person has passed away from COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, the province announced Thursday. The person lived in the far north and was in their 70s.

The case count rose 10 over the last two days with six new cases reported on July 2 and four new cases reported on July 1.

Seven of the new cases are in the far north, two are in the north and one is in the Saskatoon region.

Of the 795 reported COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, 80 are considered active, an decrease of eight from Tuesday’s update. The recovered number has gone up an additional 17 to 701 from Tuesday.

“Most of the active cases continue to be associated with two localized outbreaks in the northwest and the southwest portions of our province,” Premier Scott Moe said during Tuesday’s press availability.

“While localized outbreaks will continue to occur the number of active cases in our province remain very low,” he added.

Chief Medical Health Officer Saqib Shahab advised people to continue using best practices.

“If we do follow the basic principles if they go out and about and seeking testing the first time that symptoms, maintaining physical distancing where it is possible, using a reusable mask where appropriate and otherwise complying with all of the guidelines. We certainly hope to see very few cases or outbreaks over all,” Shahab said.

There are six people in hospital with illnesses related to COVID-19, two more than reported Tuesday.

Three individuals are receiving inpatient care in the hospital; two in Saskatoon and one in the north. Three people are now listed in intensive care; two in the North and one in Saskatoon, that is an increase of two from the last report.

The total number of cases is 795, of those 334 of the cases are from the far north, 187 are from the Saskatoon area, 118 are from the north, 80 are from the Regina area, 64 are from the south and 12 are from the central region.

Of the 785 cases in the province: 165 cases are related to travel, 478 are community contacts, which includes mass gatherings, 109 have no known exposures and 43 are under investigation by local public health.

As of July 2 , 67,243 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province an increase of 1,303 from Tuesday.

As of June 29 when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 49,529 people tested per million population. The national rate was 73,695 people tested per million population.

The province also announced that they would no longer be providing updates on weekends or Statutory Holidays beginning on Canada Day.

Last weekend the case count changed as the province announced on June 18 the Public Health Agency of Canada provided surveillance guidance regarding the attribution of COVID‐19 cases amongst the provinces and territories.

As of June 27, 10 cases that were attributed to Saskatchewan will no longer be included in the Saskatchewan total count.

Case counts may change with the provision of additional information during the public health investigation.

Northern Medical Health Officers rescind travel advisory for northern Alberta

The Office of the northern Medical Health Officers for the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority rescinded a travel advisory regarding non-essential travel to Northern Alberta on Thursday.

The initial advisory as issued on April 18 after a number of COVID-19 cases in northwest Saskatchewan were linked to travel to northern Alberta. The Medical Health Officer responsible for the area in Alberta has declared an outbreak over.

While the travel advisory has been rescinded, the northern Medical Health Officers for the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority continue to advise residents to take precautions to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. This includes proper hand hygiene, physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and wearing a mask when physical distancing is not possible.

If you have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 please self-isolate and contact 811 or your community health clinic for assessment and testing.

The City of Prince Albert announced on Thursday that more city facilities will be opening in the month of July. Many were closed in mid-March due to Provincial restrictions to assist in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. They are now allowed to re-open adhering to the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan and the current parts of Phase 4 that were announced by the province on Tuesday.

Spray Parks on track to open July 3

Installation and testing of City of Prince Albert Spray parks is now complete. Spray Parks will be open for the summer on Friday, July 3 beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The hours for all spray parks will be 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, including weekends. There will be a Staff Supervisor at the spray parks during these hours to provide guidance to make sure the regulations are adhered to by the public as per the Provincial Guidelines.

The Spray Parks open Friday include: Crescent Acres, Kinsmen Park, Midtown, Miller Hill, West Hill and Westview.

The new Alfred’s Spray Park in Lions Park is still under construction and will open later in the summer.

Prince Albert Arts Centre reopens next Monday

The Prince Albert Arts Centre is set to reopen Monday, July 6. The Arts Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Arts Centre will be offering mostly outdoor and some indoor programming for July and August. Room rentals are also available with reduced gathering sizes. The Summer Program Guide will be posted on the city’s website

Museums also reopen on Monday, July 6

The Prince Albert Historical Society operates the Historical Museum, Diefenbaker House, Education and Police Museums and will re-open them all Friday, July 10. They’ll be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, including weekends.

Alfred Jenkins Field House Re-Opens Monday, July 13

The Alfred Jenkins Field House will re-open on Monday, July 13 and will operate for the months of July and August from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Fitness programs will be offered both inside and outside around the Field House.

Programs will be posted on the city’s website.

Mann Art Gallery and E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts

The City has approved the re-opening plans from the Mann Art Gallery, which is located in the E.A. Rawlinson Centre. The Mann Art Gallery will be re-opening the week of July 16 with modified hours. Please visit www.mannartgallery.ca for more details.

The E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts is planning to execute a modified Summer Broadway North Program Development Camp in August. Information is available on www.earc.ca.

The EA Rawlinson Centre is also working on plans for other events throughout the summer and into the Fall season. Further announcements will be released at a later date according to the city’s release.

More updates on the re-opening of other City facilities will be available once corresponding information and dates from the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan are available.