Premier, chief medical health officer explain Re-Open Saskatchewan strategy

Premier Scott Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer, were full of thanks and congratulations as they revealed the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan Thursday.

They offered thanks to frontline workers who’ve kept things going, thanks to everyone in the province who has washed their hands and physically distanced to keep the infection rate down, and congratulations that the province as a whole has managed to flatten the curve.

They did have warnings to impart as well, though.

Shahab said even through the coming months as things open up, we need to continue with those measures that got us here — things like hand-washing and physical distancing.

Shahab said all of us have a role in keeping the numbers down.

“We should be under no false illusions that COVID-19 has gone away,” he said during a conference call. “COVID-19 is very much in Canada, in Saskatchewan. But if we practise the way we have been practising in terms of our day-to-day lives, in terms of the way we engage when we go shopping, if we continue to practise that, we want to see that curve remain flat.”

The first two phases of the plan have dates attached but the last three don’t. Moe and Shahab said when the last phases start will depend on how well things go in the first two.

They explained that it won’t be a matter of picking a number of cases as a threshold.

“If we see an increase in community transmission where there was no link to a known case, and certainly if that goes above 20 or 30, or the (rate of transmission) starts creeping up near one or above one, then we will have to again look at that very closely and try to see, ‘Is this happening because of certain exposure settings where we need to come down on a bit more? Or is there other factors that are involved?’ and try to understand that,” said Shahab.

Moe said officials expect to see a modest increase in cases, but he said they may not have anything to do with the measures being relaxed. Moe said the province will have an increased capacity and focus on testing and contact tracing during the coming months, and if officials find an outbreak is connected to their measures, they will work to deal with it.

Schools

The plan didn’t say anything about when schools might reopen and the premier didn’t have a definitive answer.

Moe said when schools will open will be determined by how the next couple of months go, especially as it’s not expected there will be a vaccine available by the time school would resume this fall.

Shahab said some other countries have opened their schools and he will be watching what happens there. He said children are at a lower risk for transmission and they have better outcomes with the virus, but there are other people who work in the schools to take into account.

Child care

As businesses start to open again in the first two phases and people go back to work, there’s a question of what they’ll do with their kids.

Schools are closed for the time being and daycares are currently limited to eight children in a room. That number won’t be raised to 15 until the third phase.

Moe didn’t have any specifics to offer when presented with the problem.

“That is one thing that is on our mind as we reopen phases of our economy and we’re hopeful we’ll be able to address it as we find our way through this,” said Moe.

The premier did say there is some open capacity yet for child care in the province.

Family barbecues

For some, the hardest part of the public health measures has been not being able to go and see their parents or visit with siblings or cousins.

Now, Shahab and Moe say that could be OK, with a lot of caution attached.

Shahab said it’s important for families to take a look at their own situations to see if any members are at a higher risk and make decisions from there.

“You can make a virtual household of two or three households where everyone is well, everyone understands that there may be a bit of risk if you interact but as long as everyone is well,” said Shahab.

He warned that gatherings still have to be under 10, and that people need to continue physically distancing in those situations and being conscious of what they’re doing and what they’re touching.

“I have a son that I haven’t seen for six weeks. I’d love to have a barbecue with him and cook a locally grown and processed steak sooner rather than later, and I think we will,” added Moe.

Festivals, concerts and games

Those holding their breath to be able to attend a music festival or sporting event with thousands of others in the next couple months might want to let it out.

The cap on gatherings is only raised to 30 in the fourth phase of the plan and there’s no mention of what could happen beyond that.

When asked about large events, Moe said the government isn’t looking much past Phase 3 over the next couple of months.

“It’s just too early for us to make any determinations with respect to whether or not those types of gatherings with that number of people would be allowed to carry on,” said Moe, whose province is slated to play host to the 2020 Grey Cup Festival.

He said large gatherings just aren’t part of a conversation the government has been focusing on.

The NDP has more questions

After reading the province’s plan, NDP Leader Ryan Meili said he still had a lot of questions about the details.

They include things like the timing of the phases. How do we know we’ll be ready to move on to the next one? Is two weeks enough time between the first and second?

What are the mechanisms for enforcement of the regulations businesses have to abide by to open?

What are plans to help parents with child care when they go back to work?

And, Meili asked, what about a Plan B?

“If we’ve advanced and have to come back, how is that going to look and what will be the thresholds for that?” asked Meili.

Another big question for Meili is what the province will do about tourism: What happens if people want to come into Saskatchewan from other provinces or countries?

Meili also said he didn’t see anything in the document or during the whole process about consultation with one group.

“One thing that’s very starkly noticeable as missing is any mention of First Nations and Metis people (and) any mentions of the particular challenges faced in the north,” he said.

Meili acknowledged it’s a good thing that the numbers have stayed down and we’re able to have this important conversation in Saskatchewan.

“We all hope that we come through this with a plan that we see our economy open as quickly as possible and as safely as possible (and) that we manage to find the balance and get those things right,” said Meili.

Fougere reacts to plan

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere is on board with the provincial plan.

“I’m encouraged by the clarity and also the methodical opening, and the testing between each phase is important,” Fougere told reporters at city hall.

Fougere credited the people of Regina and Saskatchewan for following health recommendations on social distancing in order to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, therefore making it possible to talk about reopening businesses.

“I know that as we open the economy up slowly, (residents) will continue those best practices because they know the more we follow those rules, the wider the economy opens up and the more activities can happen publicly,” Fougere said.

Most city recreation facilities don’t have an opening date as they fall within phases 3, 4 or even 5 in the case of Mosaic Stadium for large public gatherings.

The mayor said the city will move forward to prepare the city-owned golf courses to open in Phase 1 of the plan in early May. Fougere noted golf courses are in a good position to reopen while following appropriate physical distancing measures of one person per cart.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Adriana Christianson