REGINA -- Regina is grappling with stricter restrictions and growing case numbers due to the fast-spreading B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant, but the variant isn’t limited to the Saskatchewan’s capital city.
Provincial health officials are also monitoring the situation in nearby cities like Moose Jaw and Weyburn as their variant case numbers begin to climb.
"This just reinforces that while we have significant measures in Regina right now, all of us, all throughout Saskatchewan should continue to observe everything we’ve been doing, being cautious, even around household bubbles," Dr. Saqib Shahab said on Thursday during the provincial COVID-19 update.
According to modelling presented by the Saskatchewan Health Authority at a town hall on Thursday, 87 per cent of recent cases in Moose Jaw have been screened as variants of concern (VoC).
The South Central zone currently has 70 VoC cases detected through screening and 28 through sequencing, which is the second most in the province behind Regina.
Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie is confident the city can weather the storm without further restrictions.
"In my conversations with the Minister [of Health] this morning, we both agreed that right now at this time that we don’t need to implement those measures, we will continue to pay attention," Tolmie said.
"We have been very disciplined as a community to keep our numbers down throughout this past year and we will continue to do so."
Tolmie is encouraged that Moose Jaw will be receiving a drive-thru vaccination clinic next week that he hopes can help defend residents against the rapidly increasing variant cases.
"The vaccine combats all variants, so I want to focus that the vaccine is there for this virus and we should focus our conversations and our efforts on that," he said.
All Moose Jaw schools will be moving to remote learning starting next week in an effort to curb the spread.
Weyburn Mayor Marcel Roy said he wasn’t surprised to hear his community mentioned as one with increasing variant spread due to the proximity to Regina.
"We’re not that far away and there’s a lot of people that work within Regina," Roy said.
With farming season getting underway, Roy stated many area residents are sticking close to home, but he’s urging residents to use diligence when it comes to following the public health orders and limiting travel to and from Regina.
"We’re going to follow any of the health orders that the province issues, we’re hoping that this will all be contained and it will be on a lesser extent than what is happening in Regina," Roy said.
