The Saskatchewan government says it will not follow the path of other counties that have introduced states of vaccines and reintroduced indoor masks.
On Tuesday, Manitoba announced that it will require vaccinations for the province’s health care workers, teachers, and those who work with vulnerable populations.
She also reintroduced the internal masking.
“We are in a dangerous situation. We are taking precautionary measures because we want to avoid the enormity of what we saw in the second and third waves,” Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said.
Manitoba is also expanding the list of services and activities that can only be accessed if someone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
A spokesman for the Saskatchewan government said Tuesday that the province is not following the Manitoba route at this time.
“Currently, there are no plans to implement county-level restrictions or vaccination mandates,” the government statement said.
“We know that the best protection against COVID-19 is provided by the vaccine and we encourage everyone who is eligible to get the vaccine if they have not already done so.”
The government said it was monitoring cases of COVID-19 and would “continue to take advice from the chief medical health officer”.
The last time Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saqib Shihab addressed the province on July 7 when public health restrictions and a state of emergency were about to be lifted.
Last week, Mo said that delegating a vaccine to county employees was not on the table.
“It’s not something the government has discussed up to this point, but I would definitely encourage everyone in this county to look at the data we’re providing, and to look at how effective vaccines are.”
The Ministry of Education once again encouraged people to receive the vaccination.
“I understand that there are some who have made a different decision not to vaccinate. I do not agree with that decision.”
On Tuesday, Saskatchewan opposition leader Ryan accused Millie-Mo of “lounging on the golf course and not doing his job”.
Other counties are holding briefings, launching modeling, and announcing policies in preparation for a fourth wave spurred by a more contagious delta type, Milley said.
“The Prime Minister shook Dr. Shehab’s hand and said to the governorate, you are on your own.”
Milley said it was “baffling” that the government had not done more to protect people and the health care system.
He said he supports a vaccine mandate for health care workers and vaccine requirements to attend major events in the county.
Ontario recently introduced mandatory vaccinations for teachers and publicly funded health care workers.
Presenting the new policies, Ontario Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore said, “We’re preparing hard for fall. I’m sorry to say that I think it’s going to be a tough fall and winter.”
Quebec will require health care workers to be fully vaccinated.
“The fourth wave is here, it’s strong, the delta formula is highly contagious, and there is a real danger,” Quebec Premier Francois Legault said last week.
On Tuesday, British Columbia reinstated mandatory indoor masking and a policy requiring proof of vaccination for anyone who wants to attend a concert, sporting event, movie, restaurant, nightclub, casino or fitness class.
“We see most transmission among unvaccinated people in social settings, and this action is directly focused on that,” British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix said.
Unvaccinated people currently account for about 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in British Columbia, and 93 percent of hospitalizations.
The Saskatchewan numbers are nearly identical. In July, 90 percent of all new cases and hospital admissions were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
According to the county, 95 percent of ICU admissions have not been fully vaccinated and 100 percent of deaths have been of unvaccinated people.
As of Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Elks were the only two teams not to require fans to prove vaccination status to enter.
Proof of vaccination has now been enforced in many places in Saskatchewan. Here are some examples:
- The University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic have announced requirements for the vaccine.
- The synagogue in the Saskatoon Agudas Israel synagogue accepts only those who have been vaccinated into services, with the exception of children who are not yet eligible.
- Amigos Cantina is asking Saskatoon to fully vaccinate the staff, fans and artists to attend the shows this fall.
Saskatchewan vaccination tracks 8 more counties
Saskatchewan and Alberta follow other provinces in the percentage of people who have been partially and fully vaccinated.
In Saskatchewan, 69 percent of the eligible population received the full vaccination, while 58 percent of the population received both doses.
Of the provinces, only Alberta has vaccinated a smaller proportion of its eligible population and total population.
Across Canada, 75 percent of the eligible population was fully vaccinated and 65 percent of the total population received two doses.
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