RCMP officer in Warman, Sask., tests positive for COVID-19

AnRCMP officer stationed in the Saskatoon bedroom community of Warman, Sask., is self-isolating at home after contractingCOVID-19.

An RCMP spokesperson saidWednesday that a front-line officer who works at the Warman RCMP detachment on Sixth Avenue S. tested positive for the viruson Oct. 15.

"The officer had minimal direct contact with the detachment and immediately self-isolated," the spokesperson said.

The police force restricted access to the detachment on Friday, Oct. 16, to allow for "a thorough sanitization and disinfecting of the detachment, police vehicles and other areas as required."

"I believe the restrictions were lifted and it is business as usual," the spokesperson said.

The RCMP has issued news releases about infected officers in the past, such as in Yorktonon Sept. 28 and La Loche on April 24.

No release was issued in the case of the Warman officer.

• How to track cases of COVID-19 near your Sask. community

Larger Saskatoon zone a hotspot

Warman is part of the larger Saskatoon zone reported on by health officials. The zone includes Saskatoon, Warman and 23 other communities close to Saskatoon.

The zone is the largest current hotspot of COVID-19 cases in the province, averaging 14 new cases a dayover the last seven days, according to the provincial government's dashboard of Saskatchewan COVID-19 cases.

Health officials haveblamed the recent spike in the Saskatoon zone on outbreaks at local nightclubs. The only two nightclubs recently listed in the Ministry of Health's ongoing list of outbreaksare Divas Nightclub and The Longbranch bar at the Ramada Hotel. Both businesses are in Saskatoon.

• Saskatoon's Divas Nightclub plans to fight $14K COVID-19 fine

• Saskatoon bar flagged for possible COVID-19 exposure says inspectors approved its 'redneck dance cubes'