Moe announces plans to remove some restrictions in the ‘next number of days’

Premier Scott Moe said Wednesday some COVID-19 measures in Saskatchewan would soon be coming to an end.

“It’s incumbent on us to look at the ones that we have and are they still effective? Have they run their course?” Moe asked during a conversation with John Gormley.

“I think in the next number of days, you’ll see some further communication around the existing public health orders or the existing restrictions we have in place and, in particular, those that are impacting our youth.”

Close contact isolation in schools and the vaccine passport system are two things that Moe believes could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

“(The proof of vaccination requirement) has really for the most part run its course,” Moe said. “It increased our vaccination rates tremendously, but I think we’re getting to a point now where those that are not vaccinated likely aren’t going to get vaccinated.

“It’s time for us as a government to manage COVID as we move forward, and it’s time for us as a society to understand that we are going to be living with COVID for some period of time …

“The goal is to remove all of these restrictions when we are able.”

While Moe has announced some restrictions could be coming to an end, a number of unions in the province and the NDP have called for Moe to implement stricter measures.

“Our goal as a government is to get back to normal and we’re going to start taking some steps in that direction in the next number of days,” he said.

For two straight days, the number of active COVID cases being reported in Saskatchewan has fallen. However, hospitals in the Saskatoon area are treating a record number of COVID patients.

While hospitalizations continue to climb, Moe noted the number of patients in Saskatchewan health-care facilities now is still lower than the number who were in hospital in the final quarter of 2019 — before the COVID pandemic started.

More to come.