On March 12 of 2020, it was announced that the first case of COVID-19 had arrived in Saskatchewan from a person who had travelled to Egypt, and immediately - guidelines were put in place with no gathering over 250 people.

The next 12 months would be an incredibly difficult stretch for most.

As we hit the one-year mark of COVID-19 in the province, we’re taking a quick look back on everything that has happened since March 12, 2020.

As of writing this, there have been a total of 30,193 cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 28,387 recoveries. There have been 401 deaths since the start of the pandemic as well, with 248 of those happening since January 1, 2021.

In the south-central zone, there have been 808 total cases, and 13 deaths.

By March 20 of last year, public gatherings had been limited to no more than 25 people and non-essential businesses were ordered to close including bars, nightclubs, and restaurants with the exception of takeout and delivery.

Businesses were forced to close down during the early days of the pandemic. (File Photo)

By the end of March, gathering sizes were once again lowered to 10 people or less and Saskatchewan recorded its first two COVID-related deaths.

Premier Scott Moe would address the province on April 22 to announce the Reopen Saskatchewan Plan, a phased approach to get businesses up and running again.

Phase 1 through 3 were implemented from May 1 to June 8.

By June 17, the province took a step back as outbreaks were declared to several Hutterite colonies throughout Saskatchewan.

Despite the outbreaks, Phase 4 of the Reopen Saskatchewan Plan began on June 22.

On Aug. 4, the province announced its Safe School plan to get students back in the classrooms and in-class learning resumed on Sept. 8.

Moose Jaw was not immune to the spread of the virus either. Outbreaks were declared in November at Central Collegiate, the Thunder Creek Pork Plant, Providence Place care home, and Chateau St. Michael's care home.

The highest number of new cases in one day was 439 on Nov. 21 and the highest number of deaths in a single day was 11.

Stricter guidelines were then introduced just ahead of Christmas, which made for a December 25 like no other. No visitors were allowed outside of immediate household members to celebrate the holiday. Many took to virtual visits or gathering safely outside in order to see their loved ones.

As the new year hit, things didn’t get any better.

On January 5th, a number of COVID-19 variants from the United Kingdom and South Africa had been reported in Canada.

And on January 8th, an outbreak was declared at Chez Nous Senior Care Home.

February 2nd marked the first time one of the COVID-19 variants was found in Saskatchewan, as two Regina residents who had recently traveled to the UK tested positive for the variant.

February 12th, it was announced that the Western Hockey League would allow their eastern division to return to play with Regina serving as the hub centre. The 24-game schedule is set to begin on March 12.

Moving on to February 16th, case numbers in the province had not improved as fast as the province was hoping, and the strict public health guidelines were extended all the way until March 19.

That same day we did get some good news however, as Moose Jaw finally received its first doses of the vaccine, as 550 immunizations were administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents.

February 17th, the Government of Saskatchewan declared two more outbreaks in Moose Jaw; one at the administrative offices of Viterra Inc., and one at Ranch Ehrlo’s Moose Jaw location.

At that point however, things in the province were beginning to improve slightly, and since then – they have continued to improve.

At the start of February, Saskatchewan recorded 2,368 active COVID-19 cases and 202 hospitalizations. As of writing this however, active cases are floating around 1,400, and around 140 people are in hospital.

Deaths, however, are another story.

On January 1st, Saskatchewan had recorded 153 deaths in relation to COVID-19. Jump ahead a month to February 1, and that number had increased to 306. March 9, the number of deaths in Saskatchewan hit 400.

Positive news in relation to the pandemic begun to crop up over the last number of weeks, with the number of vaccines being delivered to Saskatchewan growing at a very fast rate, and case numbers are continuing to drop at a steady pace.

On March 9, the Government of Saskatchewan loosened guidelines just slightly, allowing for residents to meet with two or three other households. It’s the first time a guideline had been loosened since mid-2020.

With the provincial government setting the goal of having everyone who wants the vaccine vaccinated by June, there is a good chance we can return to a sense of normality come summertime. In the meantime, the province is asking us to keep wearing our masks when we’re outside of our homes, and continue following the public health guidelines.