Esterhazy taking measures to combat rising COVID-19 cases
As COVID-19 cases in southeastern Saskatchewan rise, the town of Esterhazy has introduced temporary measures to slow community transmission.
The move to close all locations to the community came on Oct. 7.
“We wanted to close down the town office and any of the facilities that would be open to the community as a precautionary measure,” said Mike Thorley, chief administrative officer of the town of Esterhazy.
As of Thursday, the Central East subzone 5, which includes Esterhazy has 92 active cases, among the 19,000 people who live in the area.
Based on population estimates from the government of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 dashboard, 60,876 Central East residents are fully vaccinated, making up approximately 63.1 per cent of the 96,478 people living in the region.
Overall, the Central East zone accounts for 334 of Saskatchewan’s 4,294 active COVID-19 cases. The zone currently has the fifth-highest active case count in the province.
“There has been an overflow of COVID-19 in our area not classified as a hotspot,” explained Thorley. “But there are problems where our hospitals were getting full and our school was being closed down.”
Esterhazy has extended the closure to Oct. 18.
The high school is set to return to in-person learning, following confirmation of 22 positive cases.
“As a school division we have been struggling to maintain face to face instruction in Esterhazy,” said Quintin Robertson director of education for the Good Spirit School Division.
The school division said it supports the town's decision to implement temporary closures.
“It certainly brings to light the severity of the situation in the community and surrounding areas,” said Robertson. “We certainly appreciate the leadership that the town has taken we will support them 100 per cent as a school division to ensure that were doing our part to keep students staff and community safe”.
The feedback from residents has been mostly positive
“I think it was necessary at this point in the game. We've been floating along the last few months,” said Marie Baker, Esterhazy resident. “I think it was a very hard decision for them to make but I think it will benefit the community in the long run”.
A total of 35 people from the Central East have died after testing positive for COVID-19, including one death reported Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.