Province looking ahead to Phase 4 of Re-Open Saskatchewan, says Phase 5 may not happen until June 2021

The third phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan takes effect Monday, but the provincial government is already looking ahead to Phase 4.

There still isn’t a target date for it to start, but we now know it will roll out in two parts to ensure that public health measures are followed.

The first part will include the openings of child and youth day camps as well as outdoor pools and spray parks.

In the second part, indoor pools, indoor rinks, libraries, museums, galleries, movie theatres, casinos and bingo halls are to reopen.

Premier Scott Moe said more announcements will be made next week on dates for the two parts, as well as more guidelines. There will also be more information on dates for medical services, parks, playgrounds, and beaches next week.

For the time being, beaches and parks are still closed.

In his announcements on Thursday, Moe said people should get out next week in the third phase and spend some money.

“I would encourage everyone who is feeling well and is not immunocompromised to think about going out to your local gym or your local restaurant next week and to continue to support those local businesses that are already open and already give back so much to our community.”

Moe said he’s gotten many calls, texts and emails from people who feel the province is opening too slowly, and he said he’d like things to move quicker too. Moe said he understands that everything that been temporarily closed takes away from the quality of life in Saskatchewan.

“We are working very hard to reopen as much as we can and we’re doing so to reopen it as quickly as we can, but we need to do so safely because the COVID-19 virus has not gone away,” said Moe.

It could take even longer to get completely back to normal, though.

Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer, said he doesn’t expect the fifth phase, meaning all restrictions dropped, until June 2021.

The numbers

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan has fallen below 30 for the first time since March 20.

The provincial government announced Thursday there was one new case in the province and six more recoveries. That dropped the number of active cases to 29.

The new case, which is in the Saskatoon area, increases the total number of cases in the province to date to 648. Recoveries so far now number 608.

There have been 11 deaths in the province to date.

Two people are in hospital in Saskatoon. Both are in intensive care.

Of the 29 active cases, 18 are in the far north. Regina and Saskatoon each has four active cases, the north has two and the south has one. The central region doesn’t have any active cases.

The total number of cases comprises 389 community contacts, 143 travellers, 77 without a known exposure and 39 that are under investigation by local public health officials.

There have been 257 cases in the far north, 170 from the Saskatoon area, 112 in the north, 80 in the Regina area, 17 from the south and 12 from the central region.

So far, 51 health-care workers have contracted the virus, although not all of those infections were in the workplace.

The total number includes 230 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 198 between the ages of 40 and 59, 106 in the 60-to-79 range, 96 involving people 19 years of age and under, and 18 in the 80-and-over range.

There were 783 tests done Wednesday, the highest-such number since 864 tests were performed May 16. To date, 49,915 tests have been performed in the province.

The government reminded residents that testing criteria are to expand Friday.

In addition to those who already could get tested, people being admitted to acute care for more than 24 hours (including expectant mothers) and immunocompromised individuals and their health-care providers can get tested as of Friday.

Wage supplement program expanding

The government is offering support to more residents through the Saskatchewan Temporary Wage Supplement Program.

Anyone, regardless of income level, who works at licensed public or private long-term care facilities that are under public health orders restricting visitations now can get support.

As well, workers at assisted living facilities are now eligible for the wage supplement if they earned a wage less than $24 per hour in the four-week period for which they’ve applied for the supplement.

To be eligible, these workers must also have total earnings of less than $2,500 (gross), including earnings from work outside an eligible essential care facility, in the four-week period for which they’ve applied for the supplement.

Employees at private daycares and approved private service homes will also be eligible for the payments.

The temporary wage supplement is $400 for each four-week period, up to 16 weeks, for the period from March 15 to July 4.

The wage supplement is available to full-time, part-time and casual workers. It includes anyone employed by an eligible facility, but doesn’t include third-party contract service providers working at those facilities.