Both New Democratic Party Leader Ryan Meili and Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe made comments on Oct. 2 regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the election campaign in Saskatchewan. These comments came in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump being sidelined earlier in the day in his own campaign for president, as both he and his wife were diagnosed with COVID-19.
On the outskirts of Regina, Meili said, 鈥淓ven before this, it's something that has been on our mind and we've been really careful about. You know, this does remind us that is something it's something to take seriously as we're trying to do a campaign.
鈥淭hank goodness, we didn't do a campaign when Scott Moe wanted us to, back in back in the spring, when we're first learning about this, when we didn't know about masks, when there was so much that we didn't understand. What a disaster that would have been.
鈥淣ow we're able to take some of the steps to make sure we do this safely. We're not having large rallies; people are coming to events like these in masks. We're being as safe as possible. We're very hopeful that we will not see any COVID-19 connected to the campaign. And we're taking every effort we can to avoid that.鈥�
Campaigning in Moose Jaw, Moe said, 鈥淚 know so many people may be wondering if here in this province, we are campaigning safely? I would say that I believe we are.
鈥淥bviously there are many differences between our campaign and the presidential campaign that is being conducted south of the border in the U.S.A. For example, we're in a truck, not in a plane. We're staying in one province, not traveling across the nation. We're not holding large rallies. We're limiting the number of people at each of our events and we are physically at each of our events.
鈥淎nd of course, in Saskatchewan there are just quite simply, a lot fewer active cases today than just about anywhere you travel throughout the U.S. So just like everyone else in this province. We're being cautious. And we're doing everything that we can to protect ourselves to protect our families and to protect all of those around,鈥� Moe concluded.
