SASKATOON - Minus the friendly rivalry and bragging rights, Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark and his counterpart Sandra Masters of Regina continue to encourage residents of their respective cities, who are not yet inoculated, to get their first dose and those who had their first shots to complete the vaccination that will help protect people from COVID-19.
Both city chief executives made the appeal after the numbers of those getting their first COVID-19 shot and those who have their second dose were released with Saskatoon beating Regina to even out their lip sync vaccine challenge.
Clark and Masters have been holding a friendly contest to see which city would have the most residents vaccinated — first and second dose.
The losing mayor was to shoot a video lip syncing to a song chosen by the previous loser. Clark lost the first challenge and he released a video lip syncing The Last Saskatchewan Pirate by Captain Tractor. Clark, by virtue of being the loser, chose It Takes Two by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock for Masters to lip sync in a soon-to-be released video.
A total of 8,333 residents of Saskatoon got their first dose against the 6,319 logged by Regina. Those who received their second dose were 60,833 for Saskatoon to beat Regina’s 46,390. However, 25.3 per cent of those in Saskatoon still need their first dose while another 34.3 per cent must complete the two-dose vaccine. Regina’s numbers are at 22.4 per cent (first dose) and 31.5 per cent (second dose).
“Thank you to everyone in Saskatoon who rolled up your sleeves, literally, to get vaccinated. It is protecting your loved ones and helping keep our community be safe. It is protecting your loved ones and helping keep our community be safe,” said Clark in a statement.
"I also was concerned about giving Regina bragging rights, so you’ve also helped us redeem the good name of our city. I know Mayor Masters is going to rock her lip sync,” Clark added jokingly.
Masters said she is up for the challenge. “Mayor Clark, you know it. I love a contest and I plan to win."
She said to stay tuned for a video coming mid-August.
She also urged residents of Regina who already had their first dose to get their second shot.
“Two vaccines ensure we can get back inside this winter with confidence. I’d like to see Regina’s population to hit 85 percent double vaccinated. The wellbeing of our community depends on the commitment of each resident to get both doses.”
“This is what we need to do in order to get back into our workplaces safely in the fall, have our kids be in school, and to beat the Delta variant. The number one way to do this is to get vaccinated,” Masters said.
