The long run of single-digit increases in COVID-19 cases in the province has come to an abrupt end. After a wake and funeral in the far north region accounted for 13 new cases of the virus, the province announced a total of 18 new cases today. 

The 13 cases in the far north were the subject of a precautionary health advisory issued by the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and Saskatchewan Health Authority on June 11. The Saskatchewan Health Authority reminded people about the importance of staying vigilant after the highest case increase in weeks. 

“While our numbers had been lower over the last few days, this increase is a reminder that COVID-19 is still in Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said. “Large public gatherings increase the risk of transmission. Everyone should continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing.”

Three of the other five cases are in the Saskatoon area, which is also more of a jump than we've grown accustomed to seeing. The remaining two cases, which are under investigation, are in people who are not from the province but did contract it in Saskatchewan. 

Of the 683 reported COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, 41 are considered active. 22 of those 41 cases are in the far north. One person recovered today, bringing the total for the province to 629. 

Saskatchewan has performed 56,223 COVID‐19 tests as of this writing. As of June 13, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 42,439 people tested per million population.