听
Saskatchewan鈥檚 daily new cases of COVID-19 have been coming down, but it wasn鈥檛 enough for the provincial government to relax public health restrictions at this time.
Premier Scott Moe announced Tuesday that the current public health order will remain in effect until March 19.
That will be a little over a full year of COVID-19 restrictions in Saskatchewan, as the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Everything from professional sports leagues to schools and small businesses were shut down in the first wave of lockdowns, and it鈥檚 not over yet.
Saskatchewan鈥檚 seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases had fallen to 167 on Tuesday, but that hasn鈥檛 been far enough.
However, upon reconsideration, the province will be adding a further 11,000 health care workers to the priority list for vaccination, accounting for about 60 per cent of all health care workers in the province. The announcement came a week after Minister of Health Paul Merriman announced that in almost all cases, vaccine distribution would be based on a person鈥檚 age, starting with the oldest. This led to backlash from a number of groups, including nurses, police and teachers, who felt they should receive priority treatment.
Premier Scott Moe said during Tuesday鈥檚 COVID-19 briefing at the Legislature: 鈥淟ast week, after we announced that the Phase 2 sequencing of the vaccination plan would be primarily based on age, I said that our officials were having another look at including some additional categories of health care workers in Phase 1 of our vaccination plan, and that work has now been completed.
鈥淲e will be moving a little more than 11,000 additional health care workers right into Phase 1 of the plan. These include anyone that is directly involved in delivering COVID 19 immunizations in Phase 1 and throughout into Phase 2. This would include physicians, pharmacists and other Saskatchewan Health Authority health care providers that are directly involved in delivering these immunizations; our immunization teams, if you will.鈥�
The additional health care workers include individuals directly involved in delivering COVID-19 immunizations in Phase 2, including physicians (up to 2,600), pharmacists (up to 1,200) and other SHA health care providers involved in delivering COVID-19 immunizations.
They will also include those who work in anesthesia/operating rooms, all other critical care areas, hemodialysis, vaccination teams, radiology technicians, ECG/echo, phlebotomy/lab workers handling COVID-19 specimens, and home care (direct care providers).
Asked if these additions would add much of a delay to the vaccine rollout, Moe said that at current rates of vaccine deliveries, they would, but if the vaccine deliveries ramp up as expected, it wouldn鈥檛 make much difference.
鈥淥ur mass vaccination program is still going to roll out, primarily focused and primarily, primarily by age, starting with our elderly people first. We know that age is the number one risk factor for serious outcomes from COVID. So vaccinating by age is the best way for us to reduce those very serious negative outcomes.鈥�
He noted this approach has been taken in the United Kingdom, and it has shown a 32 per cent reduction in COVID-19 related deaths among people over the age 80, according to the University of Oxford.
He noted, 鈥淥ur vaccination program continues to move ahead as quickly as we are able given the very limited supply of vaccines that we are receiving from the federal government.鈥�
Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab noted this is only the second week the seven-day average of new cases has been under 200 in recent months. He emphasized complying with public health restrictions, including the three-metre spacing between restaurant tables.
鈥淚t's really important to keep the numbers low so that vaccination clinics, as they start ramping up, they can happen in a smooth manner,鈥� he said.
Shahab said the supply of vaccines available does not allow for them to be prioritized, but as vaccine plants pick up production in March, April and May, essential workers may be prioritized within their age groups. He said: 鈥淎s they are sequenced by age, it鈥檚 is going to be important, but anything that we can do to, prioritize them, as they become eligible based on age, I think is going to be essential.鈥�
鈥淚 think this is the light at the end of the tunnel. But we do have to stay the course for the next four weeks with the current public health measures in place,鈥� Shahab said.
Moe held out the hope of possibly expanding family bubbles before March 19, depending on how things go.
Moe pointed out that the federal government was prioritizing vaccine deliveries to the northern territories, and that has had an impact on Saskatchewan. He pointed out that southwest Saskatchewan has been shut out, for instance.
He said, 鈥淭here's consequences to that decision as well. We've heard the southwest of Saskatchewan and Swift Current and surrounding areas, have not yet had access to their first dose of vaccine, in part due to supply challenges that we've had, where we've had to use incoming vaccine per second doses.鈥�
He explained that hiving off some of the Moderna vaccines to the territories is going to result in lower numbers of Moderna vaccines coming to Saskatchewan.
As a result, Saskatchewan is going to be short about 1,000 doses for second shots for that many people. He said, 鈥淲hen you do prioritize specific groups outside of the age-based category, there are consequences, and it does ultimately make for a more challenging vaccination environment.鈥�
Shahab said if the second dose is administered in under 42 days, it does not have a negative impact.
Moe pointed out that northern Saskatchewan communities, which are predominately Indigenous, have also been prioritized in this province鈥檚 vaccine rollout, especially for people over 50 in those communities.
He said Saskatchewan will receive maybe 65 to 75 per cent of the vaccine doses expected by the end of February.
Moe said if any pharmacists or physicians choose not to be part of vaccination teams, he asked that they not get their vaccines on a priority basis, so those 鈥渧ery scarce vaccine resources that we have are for people that are actually participating in the vaccine rollout here in the province.鈥�
听
鈥淲e're in the final stretch. And I would say that there is some hope on the way,鈥� Moe concluded, 鈥淚 think things are going to happen quite quickly in the months ahead, most certainly when you compare it to how quickly things that have happened over the course of the last 11 months. So, we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We need to stick this out, just a little bit longer with the variants that are here, and keep our numbers trending down, as we head for the finish line and I just once again thanks to Saskatchewan people for everything that they've done up to including today they have responded in the way that I expected, in a remarkable fashion.鈥�
These current measures have been in place throughout this year. Among the restrictions are:
听
- Private, indoor gatherings remain limited to immediate household members only, with limited exceptions for caregivers and those who might be living alone;
- People may meet and greet outdoors with up to 10 people only, provided physical distancing between households can be maintained;
- Indoor public gatherings are limited to 30 people for events such as weddings, funerals, banquets or conferences.
- Places of worship, concert venues, movie theatres and similar venues are limited to 30 people;
- Bingo halls and casinos remain closed, but restaurants and retail businesses are open, although with reduced capacity and other limitations. Restaurants are limited to four people per table.
- Games for team sports remain suspended. Youth sports can continue to hold practices, but the number of participants is capped at eight and they have to maintain a minimum amount of space between participants.
- Masks are still required in all indoor public spaces throughout the province. Visits to all long-term care and personal care homes are on hold, with exceptions for compassionate reasons only.
- All non-essential interprovincial travel is discouraged.
Details on the current public health measures is available at .
