On Sunday, the Alberta Government announced that all kindergarten to grade 12 classes would be canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At a conference on Sunday, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said Saskatchewan isn't closing schools right now.

"So I just want to clarify that at this point with the number of cases we have and the fact that they are all travel-related, we really don't think that there is any reason to close schools anywhere in the province at this time. Obviously, we are in constant touch with local jurisdictions including public health, medical health officers, and school divisions. We have frequent discussions with them and if there is a reason to close a school that can happen but there is no reason to close schools right now."

Dr. Shahab also added that whether or not schools close is based on a number of factors including, how long the child has had symptoms and still attended school, and what the classroom set-up is like.

Dr. Shahab continued, offering reassurance.

"You are at least reassured that there is no sustained community transmission. If we ever have evidence of no travel, severe illness in the community, and no link to someone who has traveled then you start getting more concerned, you start looking more closely within that setting. If you see evidence of ongoing sustained transmission, as some parts of Europe are seeing, then you can consider significant community-level actions that include school closures but they can include much more than that."

Dr. Shahab added that if even if you're going to a family gathering of only 6-10 people, you shouldn't hug, shake hands, and you should keep a healthy distance.