Sask. Health Authority to start asking people with COVID-19 to notify their own close contacts
Province announced 418 new active cases Friday
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says it will now be asking people who test positive for COVID-19 to alert their own close contacts.
The SHA used to handle it, but said with increasing COVID-19 cases and limited health resources, it won't be able to provide timely notification to those who are exposed or at risk.
The SHA will still notify people that they have tested positive for COVID-19 and will give them isolation information.
It will also inform them on who counts as a close contact and what kind of information they should be passing along.
The SHA will continue to identify people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in health care, vulnerable populations, long term care and congregate living settings, so that outbreak prevention and control measures can be quickly put into place.
The authority and the Ministry of Health are still reviewing protocols regarding school case management and contact tracing.
The province announced 418 new active cases Friday, with more than one-third of them in the 19-and-under age group.
The SHA is strongly urging those 12 years and older to get both doses of the vaccine, and also encouraging all residents to download the COVID-19 Alert app.