The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has issued a health advisory after two people who attended the Lakeland Snowmobile Club Wilderness Rally Supper in Christopher Lake tested positive for COVID-19.
Organizers say more than 110 people attended the rally supper, which was held between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on March 14. One of the two people who tested positive was a server at the event.
According to a statement on the SHA twitter account, organizers do not have a complete list of attendees, which prevents accurate contact tracing.
One of the event organizers told PANow he wasn’t aware of the situation until he read about it on social media, and that if he had known at the time, he would have cancelled the event.
The SHA encourages everyone who attended the supper to self-isolate immediately. Anyone residing in the Prince Albert area is asked to contact the Prince Albert Communicable Disease Team at 306-765-6504. Anyone outside Prince Albert should contact 811.
expected more, especially as they traced anyone who would have come into contact with those 110 attendees.
“We’re trying to find these contacts as soon as we can,” he said.
“Please, call 811 or the public health line so they can help asses that it is that you need to do. Until you do that, we’re asking people to self-isolate.”
Chokani said that as long as residents of the area have been practicing social distancing and following the advice of public health officials, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
His main piece of advice was to wash your hands.
“Yes, please, remember, remember, remember, wash your hands, wash your hands, just wash your hands,” he said.
Even if you have the virus, or have recovered from it, you still should wash your hands to avoid spreading it elsewhere. You should also avoid touching a surface and then touching your face with unwashed hands, he added.
“If you don’t have any alcohol-based hand sanitizer, user good old soap and water. Remember that bar of soap? Time to be using it to wash your hands. And, remember to keep that two-metre distance. Don’t put your hands to your face. That is where the virus will enter.
“So please, please, wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.”
For more information on self-isolation, visit www.saskatchewan.ca and click on COVID-19 information.
The Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association announced the closure of all Saskatchewan snowmobile trails on Tuesday. In an email to member clubs, the SSA said it was a precaution to stop the spread of COVID-19.
–with files from Peter Lozinski