The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Saskatchewan’s top doctor urging tougher measures
REGINA - Saskatchewan’s top doctor may advise the government to bring down a hammer of new public health measures if the province’s unsustainable COVID-19 rate doesn’t go down.
Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said such an approach, which would involve broad, lockdown-like restrictions, was not his preference but could become necessary.
“The hammer approach works like it worked in March, but it comes at great cost,” Shahab said “That is the last resort. I think as much as we can do through the measures we have in place is the best way, but we need to see our numbers go down.”
Shahab pointed to new modelling based on transmission trends from Christmas to Jan. 12, showing current measures may not be enough. While the modelling shows Saskatchewan is trending well below a worse-case scenario, it says the province could see highs of more than 1,600 cases a day in late January if compliance with health measures is low.
Saskatchewan had 3,589 known active cases of COVID19 on Thursday, the most per capita in the entire country, and has reported an average of 313 new cases every day over the past week. There are a record 206 people in hospital, 33 in intensive care.
Derek Miller, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s emergency response chief, said the health system is at its “most fragile point yet.”
Shahab’s announcement about possible new restrictions came two days after Premier Scott Moe renewed a set of measures that prohibit private indoor gatherings between households and limit outdoor get-togethers to 10 people, and then only if members of different households abide by physical distancing and masking requirements.
Moe did not introduce any new measures.
Shahab said most transmission is being seen in private households, but noted there have been “sporadic” outbreaks in bars and restaurants when people shirk existing guidelines.