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Fewer cases give reason for hope

After weeks of reports about the number of cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, and all of the restrictions associated with the pandemic, Saskatchewan residents finally have a reason for hope. Saskatchewan recorded just two cases on Monday.

After weeks of reports about the number of cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, and all of the restrictions associated with the pandemic, Saskatchewan residents finally have a reason for hope.

Saskatchewan recorded just two cases on Monday. That same day, Premier Scott Moe said the government might release a plan for reopening the province.

The following day, this province had just one case.

More than 60 per cent of the people diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered. 

We’ve only had 15 cases in the vast region classified as southern Saskatchewan, which extends from north of Highway 1 to the U.S.border, and includes four cities (Estevan, Weyburn, Moose Jaw and Swift Current).

All of these are positive signs for a province that, much like the rest, has been beleaguered by this pandemic. 

However, we can’t get too excited. If we get one or two days with a spike in the number of cases between now and early next week, we’re not likely going to be getting a plan to reopen the province’s economy.

And if we get a surge in the number of cases after that plan is released, then that plan is going to be shelved.

But it seems reasonable for the province to start preparing a recovery plan, and to release it to the public.

We don’t know what this recovery plan will look like, but we can expect that it will be tempered and gradual. We’re not going to be returning to the way of life that we knew on March 1. We won’t be seeing massive gatherings for a post-COVID celebration on the Victoria Day long weekend. 

But it might mean allowing more than 25 people in a room at some point in May, allowing golf courses and other outdoor recreation facilities to be open as long as they follow restrictions, allowing campgrounds to have seasonal campers starting on the Victoria Day long weekend, and possibly allowing businesses on the closed list to open again.

We also have to remember that other jurisdictions have far more cases, so while some amenities here and possibly in Manitoba might open again, they might not be open elsewhere.

If you're hoping to travel to the U.S. for non-essential reasons any time soon, forget about it.

Regardless of what's in the plan and how it's enacted, we have to be smart. And we have to be prepared for be halted if Saskatchewan starts to see a surge in cases.  

The provincial government had a bit of a rocky start in its response to the pandemic. There was the expectation that the government would call a snap spring election despite growing concerns about the pandemic. The government didn’t drop those plans until after COVID arrived in the province and events started getting cancelled.

They were also a little slow to suspend classes for Saskatchewan schools, they didn’t change their plans for the provincial budget until the day before the document was to be released, and the funding that it allocated for emergency shelters in the province was far from sufficient.

But there have been more right moves than wrong ones. They quickly dropped the number of people allowed in a room. They’ve been tough with social distancing and the businesses that are open, but essential services have remained open.

Most people in this province have been obedient when it comes to social distancing. 

It helps that we’re not as densely populated as other provinces and that our people are still fairly spread out through many farms, villages and small towns, in addition to the cities. It helps that we don’t have the major cities or the abundance of towering apartment buildings seen in other provinces.

But the government and the people of this province deserve credit for the reduced number of cases. 

Hopefully we get a recovery plan next week as a reward for our efforts.