In many ways, Saskatchewan and North Dakota are very much alike. Their economies are similar, as both the province and the state rely on agriculture and oil as two of their top industries. Their demographics and population density are also similar.
North Dakota鈥檚 population is 760,000, while Saskatchewan鈥檚 is 1,182,000, or 422,000 (55.5 per cent) more than North Dakota.
But when it comes to COVID-19, the border on the 49th parallel might as well make them worlds apart.
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, Saskatchewan had a relatively good day when it came to its daily COVID-19 report from the Ministry of Health. There had been one COVID-related death, bringing the total to 24. But there were only three new cases that day and 30 recoveries.
That high level of recoveries meant the number of active cases in Saskatchewan dropped by 31.8 per cent in one day.
Saskatchewan had seen 1,604 positive cases of COVID-19 until Aug. 26.
North Dakota, on the other hand, also reported one death on Aug. 26. According to the North Dakota Department of Health, the state had 337 new cases on Aug. 26, and its active cases statewide totalled 1,995, or 391 more than Saskatchewan had cumulatively since patient zero. To that date, North Dakota reported 10,800 total positive cases, of which there were 139 deaths.
The Canada-U.S. border remains closed to all but essential traffic until Sept. 21, a status that has been renewed month-to-month since the beginning of the crisis.
