'Trust yourself': Sask. premier won't implement restrictions despite top doctor's recommendations for smaller gatherings
Saskatchewan’s premier says implementing recommendations or restrictions on gathering sizes would not be effective in decreasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, despite advice from the province’s top doctor.
Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer issued a recommendation against unnecessary gatherings during the current surge in coronavirus cases last week, which he reiterated during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update.
Dr. Saqib Shahab said a 10 person gathering limit “could help”, but that not even 10 people should be meeting at this point in Saskatchewan’s wave of new Omicron cases. He recommended residents “hunker down” for two to four weeks and minimize gatherings and non-essential contact. He also recommended against non-essential travel between communities in the province, to prevent a further surge in cases.
Premier Scott Moe said that preventative measures are not the answer to a surge in new cases or hospitalizations that could follow.
“Measures don’t seem to be having any impact on the case numbers in [other] jurisdictions,” Moe said. “We don’t see [restrictions] being effective in other places and we do see what we’re doing being quite effective.”
But Dr. Shahab doubled down on his recommendations Wednesday, saying restricting gatherings would help control new COVID-19 cases.
“Right now I'm saying because we are doing more, children are at school, many people are back at work I'm saying very clearly minimize your non-school, non-work contacts,” Shahab said. “Minimize getting together with friends and family. Try not to have that gathering, push that back towards March, April because I think that can only help right now.”
Health officials are preparing Saskatchewan’s health-care system for a “surge” in COVID-19-related hospitalizations and ICU admissions. According to Shahab, Saskatchewan trends behind other Canadian provinces by roughly two to four weeks when it comes to new cases and hospitalizations.
Health-care staffing continues to cause concern for the Saskatchewan government. According to health officials, two to four per cent of health authority staff are absent from work on any given day due to COVID-19 isolation protocol.
When asked about Shahab’s recommendations on gatherings, Moe said Saskatchewan residents are still gathering, but seem to be gathering less. Moe said there are consequences to limiting gatherings and other restrictions.
When asked who Saskatchewan people should trust, the premier said residents should “trust themselves” and conduct personal risk assessments.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'