REGINA -- The Government of Saskatchewan says a snowmobile rally in Christopher Lake is the source of 18 new cases of COVID-19 in the province.

The rally, held on March 14, caused a spike in cases in the province’s north and central regions. One person who attended the event tested positive on March 25.

“This shows why we’ve been reducing gathering in Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said. “While we love celebrating and getting together in Saskatchewan, now is not the time.”

He added that although COVID-19 is presenting as a mild illness in the majority of cases, we need to stay this course for the next few weeks in order to flatten the curve.