‘We have to do something’: Regina mayor supports latest measures

Regina’s mayor is supporting the new public health measures for the Queen City.

Saskatchewan’s capital has become the COVID-19 hotspot of the province, with the city and surrounding area home to 844 of the 1,565 active cases. Variants have played a large role in that; the region has 824 of the 954 confirmed variant cases.

“We have to do something,” Sandra Masters told Gormley on Wednesday. “We have to do something to alter the behaviour that we’re experiencing.

“What I can tell you from our deputy chief health officer for the City of Regina is that 80 per cent of the cases that we’re seeing are under the age of 50. We’ve now increased the number of people in the ICU and only a third of them are over the age of 60.

“What this means is this COVID variant is making people sicker faster and it’s 10 times more contagious. To not do something now when we have all of these signs lined up just seems irresponsible for public safety.”

Along with the measures being brought in by the province, the city also made some changes. All city-owned recreation facilities such as pools and rinks are to close as of Sunday. Libraries will also be closed.

“(That was done) just in terms of trying to keep everyone at home. I reached out to (Regina Exhibition Association Limited) and there were only a couple minor hockey practices left to be held so they were going to try and shift those to before Saturday,” Masters said.

City-run activities such as swimming lessons are being postponed until facilities are reopened.

“All those activities are suspended,” Masters said. “Any missed activities until April 5, if we’re able to open up after that date, they will just have a start date on that date and moving forward.

“People will not be out their money on those activities; we’re just delaying it hopefully until April 5. But if it has to go on a week or two afterwards, we will just start those (activities) a little bit later.”

She said the main focus right now is to ensure the variant doesn’t begin to spread in other communities in the province.

“We have no interest in anyone else in the province experiencing what we’re experiencing right now,” Masters said. “We all want to get back to normal — and to say we’re all tired of COVID is probably the understatement of 2021 so far.”

Masters said the one thing that will get people through the pandemic is a vaccine.

“We’re very appreciative of the strategy of the province to divert those vaccinations here in terms of getting ahold of the variant,” Masters said. “Vaccination will be our way out of this, we know that.

“If the vaccine is made available to anyone, take the first one that’s offered. That’s how we’re going to get back together with our family and our friends and being patrons of businesses.”