REGINA -- A Saskatchewan ICU doctor is urging Premier Scott Moe to keep COVID-19 restrictions in place, as case numbers and hospitalizations continue to rise.
Despite growing concern of another wave of the virus hitting the province, Premier Scott Moe said he has fielded some questions on when restrictions will be eased.
"They want a road map on what happens when we get enough people vaccinated? What happens as we continue to follow the health measures that are in place, and when do is that going to happen?” Moe said Friday.
“I think it’s fair to have that conversation about what that might look like in the future and that’s a conversation that this government is going to be having."
While the Premier wouldn't provide a timeline for the current restrictions, NDP leader Ryan Meili said the situation in hospitals across the province is much worse than Moe is implying.
“At the very same time that the Health Minister was trying to tell our health critic and committee that everything’s fine in ICU in the province, Saskatchewan doctors were getting a presentation from the Health Authority that said we are leading the country in ICU admissions,” Meili said.
Doctors who work in these ICU's are scared of what the premier could be implying to residents.
"If they hear from him that we're talking about loosening restrictions, then they are less likely to follow Public Health Orders, they're less likely to understand that the situation is extremely dire and extremely difficult," Dr. Hassan Masri, an ICU Doctor in Saskatoon, said Saturday.
Dr. Masri said physicians are seeing unprecedented situations in hospitals across Saskatchewan and any easing of restrictions could have severe ramifications.
"Things are extremely difficult and every projection that we have suggests that a much more difficult time is to come. It’s not in the far future, rather in the near future, in the seven to 14 days that are coming,” Dr. Masri said.
While no restrictions have been lifted, the premier is urging residents to continue to abide by health orders already in place.
“We all in this province need to stay focused on precisely what matters in the here and now. That's following the public health orders that we have, when it’s your turn find your way to one of those vaccination clinics, take your shots if you’re willing," Moe said.
Dr. Masri is calling for more vaccinations for essential workers in grocery stores and health care workers.