Sask. reopen roadmap vaccination targets were 'waypoints': Dr. Shahab
Saskatchewan is eyeing the finish line for COVID-19 public health measures despite remaining short of its vaccination targets set out in the reopening roadmap
The province’s chief medical health officer is confident Saskatchewan can reopen safely.
"[The vaccination targets] were waypoints that tell us we’re moving in the right direction and that combined with our case numbers coming down, it sets us up well," Dr. Saqib Shahab told CTV News on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Saskatchewan announced all public health measures would be lifted despite remaining short of its vaccination targets.
After surpassing one million total doses on Tuesday, the province has now reached the target of 70 per cent of residents 18-and-over with a first dose.
There are still more than 13,000 more doses needed to hit the 70 per cent mark of all eligible residents with one dose.
Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiologist and community health professor at the University of Saskatchewan, worries that lifting the restrictions could undermine the vaccine rollout with more than 30 per cent of residents still unvaccinated.
"If all the restrictions have been lifted, people don’t have any incentive, any motivation, to get a second dose because they’re already doing things that they’ve been wanting to do," he said.
Dr. Muhajarine believes reopening during the summer will provide the province additional protection from the virus spread growing and allow a buffer to push vaccination rates higher.
"It is kind of fortuitous that we are hitting that wall for the remaining 10 to 15 per cent of our first doses during summer months," he said. "It gives us a little bit of breathing room, but we shouldn't be relaxing, we shouldn't be shouldn't think that we have crossed the finish line."
An online survey by Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies found that a third of Saskatchewan residents are open to lifting all restrictions, which is the highest in Canada, while 58 per cent said it isn’t time yet, the lowest mark in the country.
"I’m ready to have everything open and get going," one Regina resident said.
Another added, "We’re heading in the right direction, but I think it’s still a little bit too early, I would still like to see more vaccinated."
"I know we’re not quite there, but we’re pretty close," added another resident. "I just want us to proceed cautiously."
Saskatchewan reported its lowest single day case numbers since October of last year on Tuesday.
Dr. Shahab said moving into summer will help keep case numbers low as more people are vaccinated.
"If there are clusters of cases, which may still happen, primarily if groups who are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated get together, that will unfortunately still happen and they will have to be managed," he said.
Dr. Muhajarine encouraged anyone who is vaccinated to talk about their vaccination to help others feel more willing to get the shot.
"We have to be very targeted in our messaging, but it's not only the government," he said. "There's no reason why we shouldn't be talking among our neighbours, or coworkers, among our friends and family, and let everyone know that you have got two doses, you're fully vaccinated, and you're happy about that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.