Sask. to limit COVID-19 PCR laboratory testing to those 'at-risk'

The Saskatchewan government has announced it will be winding down COVID-19 testing in the province.

"Effective immediately, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) PCR testing will be reserved for priority populations at elevated risk for severe outcomes," the government said in a news release.

Laboratory testing will remain available to hospitalized patients and 'high risk populations" such as residents in long-term care or travellers from areas of concern.

Health care and other essential workers who have a negative at-home rapid antigen test who are still symptomatic will also able to get tested.

Immunocompromised people and those living with chronic illnesses and symptomatic people working in First Nation and Métis communities will also be able to access PCR testing.

Pregnant patients who are symptomatic and more than 30 weeks gestation and newborns born to COVID-19-positve parents, will qualify as well.

"At-home rapid testing has enabled individuals to self-manage, given the prevalence of asymptomatic or mild illness for the majority of those who contract Omicron. Residents now have reasonable self-management tools to safely navigate day-to-day activities," the province said.

During a news conference Thursday morning, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer said the change will "streamline PCR testing for populations that are a priority."

"Public health investigation will continue to focus on lab confirmed cases — which really will be now people either who are high risk, who have severe presentation requiring hospitalization or who reside in high risk settings," Dr. Saqib Shahab said.

As of Feb. 7, all PCR testing will need to be booked through HealthLine 811 with the province's online booking system, walk-in and drive-thru testing sites will be discontinued.

Shahab said the change is in line with how PCR testing resources were allocated at the beginning of the pandemic.

"We have to acknowledge that we are in a point to transition," Shahab said.

Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said he is shocked the province is moving so quickly to reduce PCR testing and move to weekly data reports.

Muhajarine said numbers are an epidemiologist’s bread and butter to determine trends, outbreaks and form recommendations.

“When we don’t have good numbers that we can rely on, we are robbed of a very valuable tool of information,” Muhajarine added.

The Saskatchewan NDP is questioning the reasoning behind the decision.

“It’s a bit rich to say the data is no longer accurate when the choices of this government are making the data less accurate,” Ryan Meili, NDP leader, said.

Meili added even though the daily case numbers are less valid, they are still important information.

“Knowing that test positivity in particular tells us a lot about what is going on, knowing where the outbreaks are,” Meili said. “Saskatchewan people deserve as much information as we can give them.”

He said he thinks this is a political move to hide the information, which puts parents, teachers and residents in a vulnerable position because they will know even less

Muhajarine said he feels the government should have waited another two to four weeks before making this move.

REPORTING SCALED BACK

On Thursday, the province also announced a move from daily to weekly reporting of COVID-19 information such as case counts, deaths and vaccination statistics.

The province's online COVID-19 "dashboard" will be discontinued and archived, according to the province.

In addition to providing a snapshot of daily COVID-19 information, the dashboard also provides options to easily view and compare data over a given period of time.

Shahab said the move to weekly reporting is in line with how he tracks COVID-19 trends — primarily relying on seven-day averages to guide his decisions.

He told reporters the updates could be delivered on monthly basis by spring.

"If we were to see a surge in the fall of Omicron, or any other COVID variant, based on epidemiology, we may go back from monthly to weekly reporting," Shahab said.

FLU COMPARISONS

At several points during the news conference, Shahab drew comparisons between influenza and COVID-19, echoing his previous comments.

Shahab said the wide use of PCR tests to detect respiratory viruses is unusual, with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic being the only other time he's seen a significant uptick in PCR testing during his 35 year career.

"It's not that we forget about Omicron, but we will then — based on the epidemiology — need to manage that as other respiratory viruses," Shahab said.

"We will likely go to a place where ... it will be managed much like influenza in a population that's highly vaccinated."

Like other illnesses, people at higher risk will have access to therapies, Shahab said.