Premier Scott Moe took time out of yesterday's COVID-19 press conference to speak directly to the 80 or so Hutterite communities in the province.

With the recent upswing in cases across the province and the vast majority of those coming from a handful of colonies, the Premier's words were stark, stern and meant for maximum impact.

"Every single one of us in this province has been asked to, and the vast majority have changed, how we're living each and every day.  You have to as well.  If you don't, many will get sick in your community.  Some will get very sick.  Some will die.  We want to prevent that."

He was sure to add that the vast majority of Hutterite communities were cooperating and are seeing positive numbers trending as a result.

There are a handful of holdouts who are seemingly unwilling to adjust their practices in an attempt to slow the spread, and these are the colonies that are being the hardest hit.

"The vast majority are cooperating and we appreciate that.  However, there are a few that are not quite as cooperative.  They are somewhat resistant to allowing testing.  Some are telling us that they are not willing to change some of their community communal practices such as eating and worshiping together in groups that are larger than what is allowable under the public health order."

The government, he said, is prepared to do everything that it can to ensure that deaths won't happen and the spread is controlled.  Whether that includes instituting measures such as roadblocks and enforcing travel restrictions as it did during the La Loche outbreak remains to be seen.  But Moe says that everyone else in Saskatchewan has been forced to change their lifestyle "a little bit" in response to the virus, and the Hutterite communities will have to do so as well in order to get the issue under control.

"(This) only works with everyone's complete cooperation.  Each of us.  This is how we will protect your community and ours.  This is how we will protect your friends and your family.  This is how we will save lives."