The proof of vaccination requirement will end on Valentine’s Day. Provincial public health orders will not be renewed after Feb. 28.
This will make Saskatchewan the first province in Canada to end COVID-19 public health orders. The premier touted the progress made in vaccinating citizens, as well as the increased treatment options now available, including Paxlovid.
Following the announcement, Premier Scott Moe answered follow-up questions from the media. The overall tone of his answers was that COVID-19 – particularly the Omicron variant – is now in the same category as other infectious diseases, and that enhanced public health measures are now unnecessary.
On removing public health measures
Moe said that he believes that although Saskatchewan is the first to make the announcement, other provinces will shortly be following suit.
“As we see hospitalizations decline… across Canada, I have no doubt that you will see other provinces putting forward what their plan is on living with COVID and taking steps towards getting life back to normal.”
The premier added that he feels the federal government should also be announcing a plan to end restrictions. Federally-regulated industries such as transportation and air travel, he reminded, will continue to have restrictions and proof-of-vaccination requirements.
On restrictions being re-introduced if necessary
“We’ve been dealing with this for close to two years now, you know, in two, three, four months,” Moe said, “then ultimately, we would also have to continue to make the best decisions… in light of protecting our healthcare capacity.”
Moe said that for now, with numbers continuing to trend downward, he was confident that removing public health measures was the best decision for the province.
On being tolerant of others
“We’d also ask Saskatchewan residents to be gracious and to understand that everyone is doing their own personal risk assessment,” Moe continued, “and they might arrive at a different conclusion than you… We should accept that and we should respect each and every one for the decision that they are making in their environment.”
He added that some people might choose to continue wearing masks even after the mandate has expired on Feb. 28, and that everyone should be tolerant of that decision.
“Make your own personal risk assessment for you and ultimately your family… wearing a mask, that’s normalized in our society, it should be accepted. And if someone is making that decision, you may not know the reasons as to why they are making that decision. And I would say that we should respect it.”
On whether vaccines prevent transmission of Omicron
Moe said that the Omicron wave of COVID-19 is more transmissible, and doubled down on his claims that vaccines don’t prevent its spread.
“The two vaccines do not prevent in any large way the transmissibility of COVID,” he said. Nevertheless, “it most certainly does help when it comes to the severe outcomes of COVID.”
The premier stated his belief that the measures so far have been effective in getting as many people vaccinated as possible. However, he said, because Omicron is spreading regardless, and because it appears to be less severe, public health orders are now doing more harm than good.
“This policy has run its course and it has enhanced other divisions on whether you’re non-vaccinated,” Moe said. He decried what he said was the creation of separate and unequal classes of society due to what he characterized as personal health decisions.
“I don’t view it as a divisive conversation as we move forward… I view it very much in a similar vein as to whether or not you got a flu vaccine, which seldom if ever comes up in any one conversation.”
The premier asked “everyone in this province to make that effort” not to judge others or “in any way concern yourself” with who is vaccinated or who is unvaccinated.
