COVID-19 in Sask: 18 new cases recorded in province on Sunday

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• 249 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan
• Premier Scott Moe calls for locally-made masks
• SHA looking at possibility of re-using highly-sought N95 masks
• USSUcalls for more student support during pandemic
• Province says 67 people recovered

Saskatchewan now has 249 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

On Sunday, the Government of Saskatchewan issued its daily updateand saidthere are 18 new cases in the province.

The number of dead remains static at three, but the number of people in intensive care has increased:on Saturday, four people were in hospital with one in ICU; on Sundayit was announced there were now two people inICU.

The number of people recovered in the province hasjumped there were 67 people listed as recovered on Sunday, compared to 55 on Saturday afternoon.

Cases related to travel have been pegged at 109, 71 cases are either contacts or linked to mass gatherings, 14 have unknown origins and 55 remain under investigation by local public health.

Elevenof the 18 new cases are in the Saskatoon region, as the number of cases in Saskatoon wentfrom 112 to 123 on Sunday.

Of the 249 cases, 11 people are aged 19 and under, 108 are in the ages of 20 to 44, 88 are in the age group of 45 to 64, with 42 cases in people aged 65 years and older. This means the number of cases in people younger than 19 has also increased on Saturday, the government said there were seven people under the age of 19 infected.

To date, Saskatchewan has conducted 13,528 tests for COVID-19.

NDP calls for public to wear cloth masks

The leader of Saskatchewan's opposition party saidpeople shouldstart wearing masks.

NDP Leader Ryan Meiliheld an online news conferenceto "encourage members of the public to begin wearing cloth masks in public."

Meili saidthere are two main reasons the NDP is calling for the masks to be used. He said the first is that the masks havehelped communities flatten the curve, pointing to places like South Korea, where masks were used heavily.

Part of the call for masks is to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community, as they can prevent the spread of respiratory droplets if used properly. But, he saidthe most important part is to ensure the public are using cloth masks, as opposed to medical masks, which should be reserved for front-line medical staff.

"We think there's value in it," Meili said, referring tothe cloth masks. "But we also want to remind people what kind of masks to use."

He said with recent orders by U.S. President Donald Trump to have manufacturing firm 3M stop shipping N95 masks to Canadian and Latin American markets it's important medical masks are available for those who need them most.

"The last thing we want is to have a situation where folks in the general public are getting masks to protect themselveswith good reasonbut they are using masks that should be used by healthcare workers and other folks on the frontline."

Meili said the NDP is encouraging people to make their own masks and hasreleased videos on how to safely make and use the masks.

In a statement sent to CBCNews on Sunday, the Ministry of Health said maintaining the two-metre distance from others is key to minimizing the spread of COVID-19, but said there are times when homemade masks could be used.

"In crowded settings where this two-metre distance cannot be maintained, homemade masks may be considered," the statement noted. "However, Health Canada and Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer advise caution when considering the use of homemade masks to protect against the transmission of COVID-19."

The Ministry of Health says all residents should continue to avoid large crowds, practise physical distancing and minimize contact with people who live outside of their household.

Masks offer some protection if used properly

The Public Health Agency of Canada has advised both the public and health care professionals to "use caution" when it comes to using homemade masks, which could include masks made out of cloth like cotton.

"These types of masks may not be effective in blocking virus particles that may be transmitted by coughing, sneezing or certain medical procedures. They do not provide complete protection from the coronavirus because of a potential loose fit and the materials used."

The Public Health Agency also notedthat wearing a mask while not ill may give a person a false sense of security and may be a potential risk for infection if the mask is not used or disposed of properly. However, it says the masks are "an additional measure you can take to protect others around you," as they serve as another way for people to cover their mouths, preventing droplets from coming into contact with surfaces or other people.

Queen addressesCommonwealth

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Queen Elizabethaddressed the Commonwealth.

Elizabeththanked those who were staying at home, thereby helping to spare others from suffering the grief already felt by some families, but acknowledged self-isolation could be hard.

She also paid tribute to health care staff for their selfless work and commended the "heart-warming" stories of people across the Commonwealth, of which she is head, and beyond for delivering food and medicines to those who needed them.

"Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones. But now, as then, we know, deep down, that it is the right thing to do," she said.