Sask. Premier Scott Moe tests positive for COVID-19, said he didn't know he had been infected

Premier Scott Moe said he had no idea he might have had COVID-19 as he met with reporters on Wednesday.

He took a routinely scheduled rapid test Thursday morning and it showed positive.

The premier tweeted “I’m feeling fine and will be self isolating and working from home for the next five days.”

Moe removed his mask at the news conference, which is permissible for television purposes. A sign language interpreter stood a few feet away and also removed her mask. The province’s chief medical health officer kept his mask on as did everyone else present.

Earlier this week, the premier attended a school function in La Loche. He tested negative before embarking on the trip north.

Moe is triple vaccinated and is the second premier to test positive in the past two weeks. New Brunswick’s Blaine Higgs has also had to self isolate.

Jason Kindrachuk, a researcher into emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said no one can let their guard down.

“Yeah listen, we’re in different time’s right? I think the major message is that right now Omicron is moving through our populations exceedingly quickly. People that are vaccinated still have to take precautions. We need to be very considerate that vaccines are a part of the equation but they’re not the 100% fail safe of the equation. We still have to rely on distancing. We still have to rely on types of masks that we are using and ultimately we still have to rely on how we’re feeling,” he said.

None of the students at the La Loche School are considered close contacts.

Those who travelled or met with the premier have been advised to self monitor.

No one else has tested positive.