In an unsurprising move, the province of Saskatchewan announced on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 15, that it was extending the provincial state of emergency by a further two weeks due to COVID-19. This means that all businesses that had been ordered to close down remain closed, and all gatherings of more than ten people are still prohibited. 

The province initially declared a state of emergency onMarch 18, on which it banned large gatherings and ordered gyms, restaurants, and other businesses to shut their doors. The state of emergency expired on April 1, was re-extended to April 15, and has now been extended to April 29. 

COVID-19 cases have been trending in the right direction for Saskatchewan. Not an hour before they announced the extended state of emergency, the province released that it had seen 18 new recoveries from the virus, its second-highest single-day total of recoveries. This brought the total number of cases in Saskatchewan down below 100 for the first time since March 27.

Premier Scott Moe had spoken about lifting some restrictions and reopening the economy, though he admitted these were still in the planning phase, and even the unveiling of the plan wasn't set to be done until the week of April 20. And the restrictions around businesses opening and large gatherings wouldn't be lifted until well into the future.