Plans for further geographic breakdowns abandoned
The province appears to have abandoned a pledge to offer more information on the location of COVID-19 cases.
Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, promised on June 2 a new approach to reporting cases was imminent, with more specific information than the six vast regions now used.
On Tuesday, Shahab sidestepped a question on when Saskatchewan will provide more information like most provinces in Canada do.
An email on Friday from the Ministry of Health suggested case reporting will continue as it has throughout the pandemic, with more information on locations provided only if there are outbreaks or transmission risks.
“At this point, the large geographies that we have — far north, north, central, south, Regina, Saskatoon — seem to be appropriate with of course further details when there’s a public service announcement due to an exposure event,” Shahab said on Tuesday.
He said a number of options were considered for a new reporting model, but added: “There’s nothing much to report.”
On June 2, Shahab told reporters the new approach would divide the province into 13 or 15 zones using a “static map” and include case counts and testing rates from the previous two weeks.
On the day Shahab explained what the new model would look like, active coronavirus cases had dropped to 33; on Friday, active cases had risen to 67. The shift in reporting was intended to make people feel more comfortable, Shahab said at the time.
Most provinces provide far more transparent information on COVID -19 cases than Saskatchewan. Alberta breaks down case information for each city and for rural districts and counties. In Toronto, residents can access case information for each neighbourhood.
The Ministry of Health email sent on Friday in response to questions from Postmedia said more information on case locations could be provided if transmission is linked to a certain area or activity, if the risk of transmission rises or if case numbers rise.
The email did not address a direct question on whether the province has abandoned the approach described by Shahab on June 2.
The province has declared seven outbreaks, based on information on the government’s website, including one on Wednesday in two unnamed Hutterite communities in the Rural Municipality of Maple Creek.
Shahab has cited privacy and a lack of public benefit for the lack of transparency on case locations.
Premier Scott Moe also expressed support for the current approach at Tuesday’s briefing.
“How we function each and every day as individuals and as a community needs to be congruent across the province regardless of whether you have a cluster in your community or whether you don’t,” Moesaid.