Sask. looks to avoid 5th wave as holiday season approaches
Even as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decline in the province, health officials say it’s not time to ease up on public health guidelines as they look to avoid a post-holiday season fifth wave.
November modelling numbers from the Saskatchewan Health Authority show how hospitalizations could look in one month.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer said continued low mixing behaviour by the public and a slow immunization waning trajectory could result in sustainable numbers in the new year.
(Source: Government of Saskatchewan)
“We have to do everything to avoid scenario number one which is a fifth wave any time in January or February, and stay the course ideally letting our ICU and acute care centres come down really low by January,” he said.
COVID-19 admissions are trending downward in Saskatchewan hospitals. Daily admissions are down 29 per cent in the last two weeks and ICU admissions are down 41 per cent. Saskatchewan remains first among Canadian provinces in hospitalizations and ICU admissions per 100,000 people.
To maintain the downward trends, Shahab said restrictions will likely remain in place through the holiday season. Additional measures are not on the table at this time.
Last week Shahab recommended small gatherings over the holidays and said while it may feel odd, residents are advised to wear masks.
Saskatchewan's health minister says vaccine uptake will be the key to avoiding a fifth wave.
“I think we’re still in around 2,000 vaccines per day, first and second dose,” Paul Merriman said. “We need to increase that. It’s going to jump up when the Johnson & Johnson, and the children are eligible.”
Some of Saskatchewan’s rural communities reported lower than anticipated vaccination uptake, according to the latest COVID-19 modelling.
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.
BREAKING 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.
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.
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.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.