Whitewood Inn 33199;!8ধ2+!;¤Wf 3;#8'!0(!9;-2$£<&'&j!-£@96'$-!£9£<2$,9<66'8j,32'f¤ff¤ $150 PER COPY (GST included) www.heraldsun.ca Publications Mail Agreement No. 40006725 Friday, March 20, 2020 Serving Whitewood, Grenfell, Broadview and surrounding areas • Publishing since 1893 =VS࠮0ZZ\L WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - Why Isolaon, Page 2 - Local Affects, Pages 3-5 - Hospital Rules, Page 4 - Gov’t Support, Page 8 - School Closures, Page 9 - Travel, Page 12 - Scams, Page 12 Visit www.grasslandsnews.ca for up to date informaon on COVID-19 UNIFOR PICKETS CO-OP CELEBRATING 100 YEARS CHEMO PROGRAM FIGURE SKATING CARNIVAL Members of Unifor set up picket Whitewood’s oldest resident Travel is being reduced with Skaters wrap up the season in lines at local Co-op fuel stations 10 celebrates 100 years. 11 chemo program in Moosomin 13 Whitewood with annual carnival 17 2 March 20, 2020 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News COVID-19 – What is ‘flattening the curve?’ By Elaine Ashfield of cases over time, the rising and falling Grasslands News curve is longer but its peak is lower. By “flattening the curve” in this way, ICUs will be less likely to run out of capacity. With the onset of Coronavirus With no vaccine available for COVID- (COVID-19), the general concept of slow- 19, the only way to reduce transmission ing the virus’s spread or what is termed is by good hygiene, isolating suspected “flattening the curve” is what is being cases and by the social distancing mea- implemented at present. sures that have resulted in the can- By delaying the spread of the virus, celation of events and the closure of or flattening the curve, so that new schools, events and even the borders. cases aren’t popping up all at once but rather over the course of weeks or months, then the system can adjust and Early stages of COVID-19 accommodate all the people who are We are still in the early stages of the possibly going to get sick and possibly COVID-19 outbreak and there is great need hospital care. uncertainty about the characteristics of The experts (epidemiologists) who this virus. study how often diseases occur in dif- In the network of curves on the ferent populations and why, encourage graphs, depicting the numbers of in- “social distancing” as a means to avoid fected and the severity, social distanc- becoming another infected person who ing is shown as one of the best ways increases the numbers of affected indi- to happen, there wouldn’t be enough Exponential growth models closely to flatten the curves. This is why it’s a viduals. People would still get infected, hospital beds or mechanical ventilators match reality when starting with a good idea to avoid large public gather- but at a rate that the health care system for everyone who needs them, and the small number of infected individuals ings during the COVID-19 outbreak. could actually keep up with. hospital system would be overwhelmed. in a large population, such as when the When an epidemic begins, the dis- That’s already happening in Italy. virus first emerged in China, or when it Predictions being developed ease is spread from person to person, These methods of “flattening the arrived in Italy or Iran. To accurately forecast COVID-19’s or branches out. One person infects two curve” had been proven during the 1928 growth, the underlying dynamics of others, and these three people (now in- flu pandemic when research showed Flatten the curve transmission need to be determined. fected) pass this on to two more each the faster the authorities moved to im- At present, the onset of symptoms Health authorities around the world so it now becomes six infected. These plement social distancing measures or the “incubation period” is estimated have been unable to completely prevent infected persons branch out to others designed to slow the transmission of to be 5.1 days. How much a person can COVID-19’s spread. If cases double every and the disease is compounded at a rate disease, the more lives were saved. be transmitting to others prior to the that concerns countries and eventually Of course, an infected person is not six days, then hospitals, and intensive onset of symptoms, if any, cannot be the world. definitely going to infect others. There care units (ICUs) in particular, will be accurately predicted. As the data is col- An individual on average affects 1.4 are many factors affecting the likelihood quickly overwhelmed, leaving patients lected and integrated into models over to 2.5 people according to the World of infection. In a pandemic, the growth without the necessary care. the coming months, better predictions Health Organization. rate depends on the average number of The rate of growth of the number of will be developed. By social distancing, or the ceasing people one person can infect, and the infected people can be slowed by reduc- Until then, it’s better to err on the of interaction of large groups of people time it takes for those people to become ing the number of cases that may de- side of caution and take swift action such as we are seeing in first the sport- infectious themselves. velop through exposure. to slow transmission, rather than risk ing events, and now schools, businesses At present, research is suggesting the The same number of people will prob- a spike in cases, and put strain on our and also the closure of the borders, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is ably be infected, and the epidemic will health system. idea is to slow the spread of the virus growing exponentially worldwide with last longer, but the number of severe The disruption of daily life is real so there is not a huge number of peo- the number doubling about every six cases will be spread out. This means and significant — but so are the poten- ple getting sick all at once. If that were days. that if you plot a graph of the number tial life-saving benefits. Melville & District Chamber of Commerce presents <8-2+;,-9 f!2&'1-$ 68-2+8!&' <6638;@3<8£3$!£ ,3>{!£' SMALL BUSINESSES! !90!;$,'>!2Z9£!8+'9;;8!&'9,3>('!;<8-2+!90!;$,'>!2Z9£!8+'9;;8!&'9,3>('!;<8-2+ ;,'£!;'9;;8'2&9!2&&'='£361'2;9-2;,'!8'!;,'£!;'9;;8'2&9!2&&'='£361'2;9-2;,'!8'! MervMerv Moore SportsplexSportsplex Friday,Friday, MarchMarch 27 - 4 to 9 PPMM SaturSaturday,day, MarcMarchh 28 - 10 AM to 6 PPMM SunSunday,day, MarchMarch 29 - 12 noon to 4 PPMM • FREE ADMISSIONADMISSION & WIFI • FOODFOOD BOOTHSBOOTHS POSTPONED• • KIDSKIDS FUNFUN ZONEZONE '>&!;'9;3#'!223<2$'&• cc • 4TH ANNUAL GUN SHOW & SALE The big chains can take the strain. Melville Community Works - 800 Prince Edward Street 3<8£3$!£$3ø''9,369T8'9;!<8!2;9T #!0'8-'9T,!-8&8'99'89!2&2'>9!+'2;9 Saturday, March 28 - 10 AM to 4 PM might not make it. Sunday, March 29 - 10 AM to 3 PM 2$'#<9-2'99+3'9&3>2-;Z91<$,,!8&'8 Admission: Adults $5, Children 12 &under Free to bring it back. must be accompanied by an adult £'!9'9<6638;;,'-2&'6'2&'2; MELVILLE & DISTRICT 38138'-2(381!ধ3232;!$; CHAMBER OF COMMERCE '£=-££'{-9;8-$;,!1#'83(311'8$' £-ħ£'+<@9>,'8'@3<$!2W !££V¤f¥f38'1!-£V1'£=-££'$,!1#'8|9!90;'£W2'; www.grasslandsnews.ca 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV March 20, 2020 3 Grenfell and Broadview feels affects of COVID-19 By Sarah Pacio information sessions for staff must also wash Grasslands News staff and band members their hands immediately on March 15, with social upon entering the build- distancing procedures in ings. “Staff are being In compliance with effect. Cowessess First Hockey Canada’s deci- required to change into Nation created an in- their work scrubs once sion to cancel all sched- formative pamphlet and at work, rather than uled activities, the made it available via wearing street clothes Grenfell Athletic Associ- their Facebook page. during their shift, and ation closed its rink at The Town of Grenfell change back to their the Grenfell Recreational has shared Saskatche- street clothes before Park indefinitely, be- wan Health Authority going home,” Monaghan ginning March 12. The advisories on its social stated. “We hope these arena traditionally stays media sites. “Things additional measures will open through the end of could change quickly, further reduce the poten- March for hockey and but currently we’ve been tial of transmitting germs public skate times, after $/$1+867$._*5$66/$1'61(:6 trying to advise the pub- back and forth between Closed which the ice is removed lic and the organizers in staff homes and the per- 6LJQVSRVWHGDWWKH5H[HQWUHLQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOHLQGLFDWHDOODWKOHWLFDFWLYLWLHV during the first few days order for them to make sonal care homes.” KDYHEHHQVXVSHQGHGEHFDXVHRIWKHSDQGHPLF of April. There are cur- informed decision,” rently no plans to remove Grenfell’s CAO Victo- the ice early. ria MacDonald told the The Grenfell Spitfires Herald Sun on Monday Sr. Men’s hockey team morning. “Our office has was preparing to play Fort Qu’Appelle closed by virus contacted [community] game 2 of the Provin- groups to make them some items, and ground hamburger and chicken are in cial “B” South Finals in aware of the provincial By Alan Hustak Grasslands News short supply. It sold out of bleach, toilet paper and hand Carnduff on March 14. recommendations and sanitizer on the weekend, but stocks are expected to be A win against the Car- the escalating situation, replenished.