Mandatory masking order in effect for Sask.’s three largest cities

As of 12:01 a.m. Friday, people in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert will have to wear non-medical masks in public indoor spaces.

It’s a measure announced earlier this week by the premier and the province’s chief medical health officer to try to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As of Thursday, the active case count in Saskatchewan was six times higher than it was a month earlier.

The province has said enforcement of the order will be possible but, like most of the previous orders during the pandemic, the preference from the government is education.

There are some exceptions to the rule, such as in gyms when the person is actively engaged in physical activity. The province’s guidelines on when and where to wear a mask can be found here.

The Ministry of Health said in a news release wearing a mask reduces community transmission of COVID-19 and in other jurisdictions, high levels of mask usage have been associated with reductions in cases.

Regina Public Schools and the Regina Catholic School Division announced Thursday that, as of Monday, children in all grades will have to wear masks in class and on school buses.

The revised public health order is set to last 28 days and will then be reviewed.

The Saskatchewan Medical Association is commending the mandatory mask order. In a news release, the association’s president said the order was needed to flatten the curve.

“Our hope is that people who sacrificed so much in the spring to keep COVID numbers as low as possible will now redouble their commitment to abide by public health orders. Like everyone else, physicians want the health system to return safely to normal, but that cannot be achieved without each of us taking steps such as wearing non-medical masks in public, practising physical distancing and hand hygiene, and limiting your social bubble,” said Dr. Barb Konstantynowicz.

Members are also strongly recommending that people wear masks in other communities.

Gatherings shrink

In addition to the mask order, the province is reducing the allowable size of private gatherings in homes. As of first thing Friday, private gatherings will only be able to have 10 people, with people who live in that home included in the total.

In mid-October, the province reduced gathering sizes to 15 and is now reducing it again in an attempt to curb the number of new COVID-19 cases.