Sask. has 'highest burden' of COVID-19 in Canada, health authority says
According to data presented during a physicians' town hall, Saskatchewan has the "highest burden" of COVID-19 in Canada.
Thursday evening's virtual Saskatchewan Health Authority town hall event came just hours after Premier Scott Moe announced a series of new measures to help control the spread of COVID-19.
During the event, Medical Health Officer Dr. Johnmark Opondo said Saskatchewan has the highest new daily COVID-19 hospitalization rate in Canada — with Alberta in a close second.
"Sadly to report in the last 14 days … the death rates in Saskatchewan are the second-highest of all the provinces," Opondo said.
Opondo said the province saw its highest test-positivity rate late last week, 11.8 per cent, surpassing the previous record of 8.2 per cent set during the third wave.
The current fourth wave of COVID-19 will probably be "the largest COVID-19 experience" the province has seen so far, Opondo said.
Because the Delta variant is "so transmissible, a vaccination rate of 85 per cent among eligible people over the age of 12 is needed to reach herd immunity, according to Opondo.
"Vaccines alone may not get us where we want to go," Opondo said.
"We need to continue to promote reducing indoor density, maintaining physical distancing, limiting non-essential gatherings and non-essential visits outside the house."
Opondo called the introduction of a masking measure an "important step."
"We are going to continue to encourage people to work from home and we do want to see further policies, some of which were discussed today, which would introduce things like vaccine passports (and) mandatory vaccines for certain worker categories."
Opondo said the policies have been shown to "accelerate" COVID-19 vaccination in other jurisdictions.
If Saskatchewan does not cut transmission and increase vaccine uptake, Opondo said hospital capacity will exceed previous highs reached during the third wave of COVID-19 that battered the province in the spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Honda expected to announce Ontario EV battery plant, part of a $15B investment
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Honda executives are expected to announce today that the Japanese automaker is building an electric vehicle battery plant in Alliston, Ont., part of a $15-billion investment.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.