The pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our public lives and through 2021 it has been something of a roller coaster ride of just how our community, province and country have been impacted.
The year began with many stores closed, public gatherings disallowed, many laid off or working reduced hours, coming out of a holiday season in 2020 where most gatherings simply did not happen.
As we entered spring and headed into summer the province began to loosen restrictions, businesses which had been forced to close re-opened, and the size of gatherings expanded.
Locally that meant events such as Eastern Professional Chariot & Chuckwagon Association races, Thunder in the Parkland Truck & Tractor Pulls at the fairgrounds, and stock car races at Yellowhead International Speedway were able to take place.
Regionally, summer fairs in places such as Invermay and Kelvington took place as well.
But, COVID was not done yet. A new variant, Omicron, arose and the highly contagious strain has infection rates rising significantly, and governments across the country have instituted varied measures in response.
In Saskatchewan new restrictions had not been instituted as 2021 came to a close, but growing numbers have had an impact.
As an example, the home and home Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League series scheduled for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 between the Flin Flon Bombers and the La Ronge Ice Wolves as well the home and home scheduled for Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 between the Estevan Bruins and Weyburn Red Wings had been postponed until a later date, as a result of some players perhaps being in close contact with positive COVID-19 cases. As a precautionary measure the postponements will provide more time for extra testing to ensure the safety and health of everyone.
Provincially, as 2021 came to an end the province was reporting there had been 85,188 cases of COVID in Saskatchewan, with the seven-day average of daily new cases at 333 to end the year. There had been 955 deaths attributed to COVID in Saskatchewan since the start of the pandemic.
It was also reported 857,368 had been fully vaccinated up to Dec. 31.
