Saskatchewan becomes second province to fully open, tells residents to get fully vaccinated

As of July 9, Saskatchewan no longer mandates COVID-19 restrictions with its provincial state of emergency also ending.

“This Sunday, after 485 days of public health orders and restrictions being in place. After 485 days of the government telling you how to live your life. All those restrictions will end,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said Wednesday.

However, he informed residents that while restrictions are over, the COVID-19 pandemic and the fight against is not.

“Instead of trying to control the COVID infection rates through government impose restrictions and government rules, we can now control COVID through vaccines,” said Moe.

Health officials, including Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, urged residents to get fully vaccinated. As of Monday, 73 percent of those 12 and older received their first dose and 55 percent are fully vaccinated.

Data from the government shows that fewer than 70 percent of people in their 30s, 20s and teens have their first shot, and fewer than 50 percent of people in each category are fully vaccinated.

Age 30-39 178,012 113,671 (64%) 77,426 (43%)

Age 18-29 181,622 109,898 (61%) 64,466 (35%)

Age 12-17 91,446   54,225 (59%)  23,193 (25%)

CTV News reported that no fully vaccinated resident died of COVID-19 or was admitted to the ICU last month.

Of the 2,032 new cases in June, 81 percent or 1,641 new cases occurred among those who didn’t get the shot or fewer than 21 days had passed since their first dose.

As of Monday, there are 19 new cases of COVID-19 to report, bringing the provincial total to 49,279 cases. There were no deaths to report today either.

“The only protection you [unvaccinated people] have is low case numbers due to the people who are fully vaccinated,” he continued. “The people who are fully vaccinated are providing some protection to you, but COVID is sneaky and finds its way out.”

The updated guidance on Sunday stated that children under 12 cannot be vaccinated and remain at risk, though less so than older demographics with multiple co-morbidities.

“Age is no longer the largest factor in determining your risk [of getting] COVID,” said Shahab. “Whether or not you're vaccinated, if you're fully vaccinated you are very well protected. If you are not vaccinated, you're at risk, and it is an unnecessary risk.”

He made clear that although the risk for serious health outcomes is lower for youth than older demographics, children can still contract, transmit and become ill with COVID-19.

Saskatchewan’s government said prekindergarten to Grade 12 schools will return to regular operations for the 2021-22 school year, and that licensed child care facilities can also resume typical operations on July 11.

“If you are fully vaccinated, all activities with children will be considered lower risk,” the province said in a statement.

Masks, which have been mandated in Saskatoon and Regina since November 6, and province-wide since November 17, Shahab recommended that residents wear a mask in crowded settings.

“If you enter a facility that requires a mask, patrons must respect the decision of the business and either comply or choose not to visit the establishment,” the province said in a news release.

“Some businesses may be wide open. Some may ask for people to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. I think we need to respect each setting in terms of what they’ve determined as a safe place at this point for them, their customers and staff,” said Shahab.

As of Sunday, restaurants and bars, will operate without provincially mandated restrictions. Service can now continue past 10 pm, with seating limits lifted.

Saskatchewan’s seniors — the most vulnerable demographic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — including those in long-term care and personal care homes, can invite an unlimited number of visitors and family members to their residences. However, COVID-19 screening and rapid testing will remain in place for visitors and staff at these facilities, with masks and physical distancing “strongly encouraged” for visitors and mandatory for staff.

Moe thanked Saskatchewan health care employees, essential workers and all residents for abiding by public health orders since March 2020.

Employers will have two weeks within which to schedule an employee who has been on a temporary layoff back to work or provide pay instead of notice as required by The Employment Standards Regulations.

"As a response to COVID-19, we made amendments to regulations that allowed employers to maintain employees and to plan the transition back to the workplace when the public emergency no longer existed," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said in a July 9 press release.

"Saskatchewan people have done a good job getting vaccinated,” he added. “We are now able to re-open Saskatchewan."

While employees will no longer be entitled to the public health emergency leave, they will continue to have job protection for absences due to illness. Employees will also continue to have job protection until September 25, 2021, if they are receiving the Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit and Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.