The Saskatchewan Health Authority updated its COVID surge activation plan on Dec. 17, detailing the staff redeployments and service slowdowns taking place to address the surge in case numbers.
Officials announced the service plan on Dec. 3, citing the province’s high case numbers as the reason. Contact tracing staff and ICUs in the province were at capacity, prompting the rearranging of resources within the health authority.
The recent update said that the update is to address concerns about continuity of care for patients and care home residents in need, as positive cases remain high.
“Our teams have responded extremely well to a very difficult situation,” said SHA CEO Scott Livingstone, in a press release. “But sustained high caseloads and high numbers of outbreaks are straining staff capacity and requiring us to mobilize and redeploy high numbers of staff quickly, severely testing our ability to keep up with this virus.”
Approximately 117 SHA staff have already been flagged to be available in case of outbreaks causing a large number of staff to self-isolate, in addition to the 70 staff who have already been redeployed to Extendicare Parkside seniors home in Regina. These staff will continue to work with processes in place for rapid redeployment if necessary.
The SHA is also working to identify high-risk sites and increase safety inspections, including reviewing facilities that may have poor ventilation.
The health authority is also providing more safety resources where there are outbreaks and extending point-of-care testing to improve early detection and rapid response to outbreaks.
Service slowdowns are also taking place to help aid the SHA’s response. Approximately 200 out of a total 900 SHA services have been chosen to be reduced, with many operating normally until resources become necessary.
Slowdowns include a temporary 35 per cent reduction in surgical volumes in Saskatoon and Regina and a disruption to all elective surgeries in North Battleford and Prince Albert, not including urgent and cancer surgeries.
Procedures that generate aerosols are also now occurring with increased safety precautions, as they pose high risks of transmission.
Resources are also being prioritized to support the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which began on Dec. 16.
“The key now is not to let our foot off the gas,” said Livingstone. “People may be encouraged by the vaccine rollout, as they should be, but the reality is that fatalities and hospitalizations lag behind high case counts, meaning it’s critical we still prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We still need the public to help us protect those who are vulnerable and protect our health system from being overwhelmed.”
For more information on the SHA Readiness Plan, visit saskatchewan.ca/COVID19.
