Sask. health minister rejects COVID-19 aid offer from Ottawa
Saskatchewan’s minister of health has declined an offer for pandemic-related assistance from the federal government.
In a letter to federal health minister Patty Hajdu, Saskatchewan’s Paul Merriman said acute care capacity in Saskatchewan has been expanded.
“At this time, we have expanded the capacity in our acute and intensive care units in order to address pressures we are experiencing, and we will to continue to use the federal resources that have always been in place to complement those efforts.”
In the letter, Merriman requested expedited approval for rapid tests and distribution of antibody therapies.
His office did not respond to an interview request Monday, and the health minister last took open questions from the media one month ago.
CTV News reached out Tuesday with another request to interview the minister. According to a representative for Merriman, he may be available Wednesday.
In a tweet on Friday, the federal health minister Patty Hajdu confirmed she spoke with provincial health minister Paul Merriman and “ensured he knows the federal government will be there to help the people of Saskatchewan in this health crisis.”
“We stand ready to help wherever we are needed,” the tweet read.
While the federal government is ready to help, Hajdu reminded Merriman it takes time to deploy these resources, and that equipment is easier to ship out than healthcare workers.
“It depends on the resourcing needs of Saskatchewan, which is why it’s so critical that the province be looking ahead to what they anticipate they’ll need as they try to deal with the surge,” said Hajdu in a phone interview.
The offer from Ottawa comes as Saskatchewan reported an all-time high of 4,864 active cases on Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
'Trees going up like Roman candles' as wildfire season starts early in B.C.
Susanne Langan first noticed the Burgess Creek wildfire from her home in British Columbia's Cariboo region on Saturday afternoon as a distant, thin column of smoke.
3 children injured after truck and school bus collide in Russell, Ont.
Three children and a driver were taken to hospital after a school bus and a truck collided on Route 400 in Russell, Ont.
Indian national sentenced in US$150M Canadian, U.S. dark web drug enterprise
An Indian national has been sentenced in the United States to five years in prison in connection with a dark web drug enterprise that stretched as far as Canada, an American Department of Justice release says.