Sask. government contingency plan could redeploy provincial employees to healthcare system
The provincial government is working on a contingency plan to redeploy civil servants into the healthcare system, as Omicron continues to spread.
The workers would assist in areas understaffed due to COVID-19 illness. The province is looking for approximately 500 volunteers from the ministries.
“Part of that plan is to work with Saskatchewan’s Public Service Commission to identify potential staffing resources within the provincial government who could be redeployed to support health care services in non-medical roles, such as meal preparation, cleaning, and administrative duties,” the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) said in a statement.
During a previous wave last year, the province relied on a group of military personnel to help at hospitals. Others, such as firefighters took shifts at nursing homes.
The NDP Opposition feels the government is not being straight with the public.
“The premier has been out 48 hours ago talking about ‘hospitalizations due to COVID right now are not a big deal in Saskatchewan,’” Vicki Mowat, an NDP MLA said.
“At the same time we find out that government is redeploying 500 employees from government into the health care sector because of understaffing that exists and concerns about hospitalization growing.”
The province said no employees have been redeployed and no decision has been made on deployment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured including toddler, after Hwy. 417 crash in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.