COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
[59][60][61] The province concurrently began to implement a policy of living with COVID-19 as an endemic respiratory illness, including recommending rapid antigen tests—which have not been counted in the provincial statistics by the SHA—over PCR tests.
[70] Citing concerns over the potential of an impending outbreak in the province, Premier Scott Moe announced on March 12 2020, that he would not pursue a snap provincial election, which he had been musing about publicly.
[85][86] All art galleries, museums, and other recreational, entertainment, and personal service facilities were ordered closed, and certain types of medical clinics (chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and registered massage therapists) were restricted to non-elective appointments only.
He noted that the "conversation" had been "escalating" nationwide, and that the province would "really need to be very careful with the public health guidelines and recommendations" once colder weather prompts more people to spend time within enclosed spaces.
[98][99] On August 7, the temporary regulations allowing lawyers to remotely witness the signings of documents such as power of attorney declarations and wills were made permanent, in an effort to "increase access to the justice system through the use of technology.
They were also allowed to resume offering recreational activities and VLTs; the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) announced that it will raise its commissions to VLT operators from 15% to 25% through January 3, 2021 to compensate for the shutdown, in an effort to provide additional revenue to the hospitality industry.
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) is requiring the wearing of face masks, and for patrons to check-in upon arrival (through either a name and phone number, or via their rewards card) for contact tracing purposes.
[118] Tracy Zambory, president of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses, deemed Moe's initial announcement on April 13 to be premature; she argued that it could encourage residents to stop practicing social distancing or remaining at home, which could potentially lead to renewed spread.
[119] Following the unveiling, Zambory was more positive towards the plan, stating that "there's no reason reopening the economy and keeping people in Saskatchewan safe from COVID-19 can't go in tandem", but displayed a continued concern that residents were "going to get far too comfortable and start forgetting all the good rules that we've worked so hard on.
[129] The same day, the SHA announced that it will no longer publish advisories relating to possible COVID-19 exposures at public locations unless self-isolation is required, as residents should self-monitor for symptoms at all times.
Indoor venues that had been limited to a capacity of 30 people (such as art galleries and museums, banquet halls and conference centres, bowling alleys, cinemas and theatres, and libraries), and dine-in bars and restaurants, have been ordered closed since March 28.
[142] That month, Moe and Health Minister Paul Merriman rejected an invitation to tour a Regina ICU, as healthcare workers tried to impress upon the government the gravity of the situation in the province's hospitals.
Premier Moe and Shahab held their final weekly press briefing on July 8, emphasizing that vaccination would now serve as the province's main mitigation strategy against the still-ongoing pandemic.
[177][178] Opposition Education Critic Carla Beck felt that the Saskatchewan Safe Schools Plan was the worst back-to-school plan in the entire country, citing the lack of immediate requirements for face masks and/or reduced class sizes (as in other provinces), lack of additional funding being provided to schools to cover the costs of implementing the guidelines, and concerns that the guidelines had not been updated to account for recent increases in community transmission.
[179] Minister of Education Gordon Wyant stated that the plan was open to adjustments if recommended by Shahab based on changing conditions, and that the province was ordering six million masks for use by students and faculty in case Level 2 measures need to be employed.
[182] On September 10, Saskatchewan's universities announced that their suspension of most in-person classes will continue through the Winter 2021 semester, citing the then-lack of a vaccine and the potential impact of flu season.
"[191] PVSD, RPS, and the South East Cornerstone Public School Division also suspended classes through at least April 26, citing guidance from the local medical health officers.
The government stated that "contact tracing is no longer an effective measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19 due to the shorter incubation period and the fact that many more infected people show few or no symptoms.
[210] As of the Step 3 lifting of restrictions on July 11, 2021, those who test positive and their close contacts will still be advised to self-isolate, but this is no longer enforceable as a mandate due to the expiration of the state of emergency.
[213][214] On January 27, 2022, Health Minister Merriman announced that this reduction would be extended to those who are not fully vaccinated, and that close contacts of positive cases would be instructed to monitor for symptoms and use rapid tests rather than isolate.
[237] On March 1, 2021, the province announced that in order to enhance its ability to monitor outbreaks involving SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory had been validated to perform whole genome sequencing.
[249][250] On November 25, Premier Moe criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for suggesting that Canada might not receive COVID-19 vaccine doses as quickly as other countries due to a lack of domestic production capability.
"[251][252] In a November 29 interview with CTV's Question Period, Premier Moe argued that the federal government needed to "very ambitiously and aggressively procure some additional vaccines in a tighter timeframe", since "we're going to treat about less than 10 per cent of Canadians prior to March.
Regina announced an intent to ban all public meetings larger than 5 people or more (outside of home, workplaces, or as part of essential services), and order the closure of retail stores in specific categories to in-person shopping (including clothing, furniture, games, sporting goods, and toys) effective March 23.
[303] Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr explained that "during this time of great uncertainty, it is of the utmost importance that we provide certainty to Saskatchewan residents and make every effort to minimize confusion", and cited Regina's attempts to close retail stores as an example of a restriction where provincial decisions take precedence.
[304][305] Despite this, during a media event on August 13, 2020, Fougere suggested that the city could introduce a mandate for the wearing of face masks within public spaces, but stated his preference for the province to do so as it would be "easier and simpler for people to understand and administer.
[320] MN–S stated that McCallum was asymptomatic and not specifically told to self-isolate, and accused "individuals" and "politically-motivated gossip sites" of "engaging in unfounded rumour-mongering and finger-pointing during a serious public health crisis".
The group reportedly had a one-hour phone call with Premier Scott Moe in December 2021 and launched a coordinated lobbying campaign in February 2022, days before the province announced that it would ending its pandemic-related public health measures.
[358] On January 21, 2021, veteran Saskatchewan sports broadcaster Warren "Woody" Woods died at 66 from complications of COVID-19 [359] On February 13, 2021, the WHL announced that it will hub its East division at the Brandt Centre to conduct a 24-game regular season.
[363] The following month, Marquis Downs ended racing operations permanently, with the announcement that it was being considered as the site of a soccer-specific stadium for a provisional Canadian Premier League expansion club.
