Premier Scott Moe announced today that the current public health orders in place in Saskatchewan will be remaining until at least Feb. 19, extending the review deadline from his previous announcement earlier this month.
Restrictions that will remain in place include mandatory masking in public spaces, household contact restrictions, limits on outdoor gathering sizes and capacity limits on retail businesses.
“I ask everyone to continue following the public health orders and the guidelines to keep yourselves and those around you safe. These measures are working, as long as we follow them, as the vast majority of Saskatchewan people and businesses are doing,” said Moe.
Moe also stated that he has called for increased enforcement for individuals and businesses that do not follow the current restrictions, following a number of cases recently linked to bars and restaurants in Saskatoon and Regina.
Three large fines were issued to restaurants in Saskatoon and Regina as a result, said Moe, with more investigations ongoing that may result in additional penalties.
Vaccine deliveries remain a hurdle for the Saskatchewan vaccination schedule, with the province officially out of vaccine doses this week.
Moe said that a total of 12,000 doses are expected to arrive the week of Feb. 2, supplied by both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Of those doses, 5,850 Pfizer vaccines will be delivered to Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford, Yorkton and Swift Current to continue vaccinating staff and residents in long-term care homes and residents over the age of 70 years.
The remaining 6,500 vaccines will be supplied from Moderna, to be distributed to the far north regions to administer secondary doses to residents who have already received a vaccine, as well as to the central west region to begin administering first doses.
Saskatchewan is still slotted to receive its full allocation of vaccines for the first quarter of the year, said Moe.
No new restrictions were announced during the live press conference from Moe and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, as the province’s case numbers have dropped in the last few weeks, but public health is also not considering lifting any restrictions in the near future.
“When cases come down, you shouldn’t be complacent. We still have to observe these practices, still seek testing when we have any concerns or symptoms because that’s the best way to keep our numbers low,” said Shahab.
Moe said that the provincial government doesn't feel additional measures are required in Saskatchewan, but rather more stringent compliance and enforcement of current public health orders.
For more information about COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, visit saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.
