Saskatoon Food Bank waiting for guidance from health authority after staff test positive for COVID-19

The head of the Saskatoon Food Bank says she's still waiting to hear from the province's health experts about how to move ahead after three staff tested positive for COVID-19.

"We are still waiting for some guidance from the health authority to understand if this is considered an outbreak or if, because some of these cases are not related, we can sort of resume normal operations after," said executive director Laurie O'Connor.

One staff member at the Food Bank was already off because of the virus when two others tested positive this past weekend.

It closed its doors Monday so that the building on Avenue C South could be deep cleaned. O'Connor said she's keenly aware of how this is affecting clients.

"We know the impact is really enormous for folks. If you're coming to the food bank, typically it's because you have no food left. And so that has been at the centre of all of our discussions because we are so concerned about the community."

The Salvation Army, meanwhile, is modifying its Christmas operations to deal with the pandemic.

Area commander Mike Hoeft says it's working on protocols for assembling and handing out its popular Christmas hampers. It provides upwards of 1,400 hampers to people in need every year.

"We've started the Christmas hampers online," he said.

"People can fill in the forms and submit them electronically."

In the past, volunteers would put together hampers with fresh produce, practical items and gift cards. They'd be distributed over three days.

Not this year.

"Instead of three days, we've got them coming over the course of 21 days," he said.

"We've gone exclusively to a gift card, and we will give them a box or a bag of clothes as well."

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