COVID-19 news recap for this week: May 1 to 8
Public health declared four new outbreaks in the city of Moose Jaw this past week, bringing the total number of active outbreaks to 10.
Moose Jaw Families For Change declared an outbreak on May 6, and on May 2, Central Collegiate high school, Chez Nous senior care home and South Hill Fine Foods all declared outbreaks on their premises.
The administrative sector of Rockport Carrier, a Moose Jaw-based freight transport company, was also added to the active outbreak list, dated back to April 21. Lindale School also reported a positive case of COVID-19 in its facility on May 2.
--------The vaccine pilot in pharmacies expanded this week, with public health sharing that 41 more pharmacies across the province will be taking part in delivering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible residents. A total of 102 pharmacies in 37 communities are now participating in the pilot, and residents are to contact individual locations to book a vaccine appointment. Four Moose Jaw pharmacies are administering vaccines by appointment, remaining unchanged from last week’s announcement. They are:
- Loblaw Pharmacy located at 30 Thatcher Drive E;
- Moose Jaw Co-op Pharmacy at Hillcrest located at 7A Thatcher Drive E; - Safeway Pharmacy located at 200 1st Ave W;
- and TLC Pharmacy located in the Town n’ Country Mall.
--------The eligible age range to receive a
COVID-19 vaccine in Saskatchewan has also lowered this week, now including residents age 32 and older as on May 8, or 18 and older in the northern district. Prioritized frontline workers over the age of 18 are also now eligible.
The new age limits apply to all booked appointments at mass immunization clinics in the province, as well as any walk-in or drive-through clinics, pharmacies and mobile clinics.
--------Youth aged 12 and older have also been added to the vaccination plan, following approval from Health Canada to use the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on individuals aged 12 to 15.
First doses will likely be provided to youth under the age of 18 through a schoolbased program, similar to other immunization programs from public health, with the goal of delivering all first doses by the end of this school year.
--------The Saskatchewan Health Authority provided a proposed eligibility schedule that includes projected dates for the age groups waiting to be vaccinated with their first dose, as a guideline for the remainder of the month.
Eligibility ages for vaccine clinics and appointments will be lowering every two days for the next two weeks, on this projected schedule:
- May 8: residents aged 32+;
- May 10: residents aged 29+’
- May 12: residents aged 26+;
- May 14: residents aged 23+;
- May 16: residents aged 20+;
- May 18: residents aged 16+; - May 20: residents aged 12+. Individuals under the age of 18 will only able to receive Pfizer vaccines, from clinics who are providing them.
--------Second dose vaccine appointments are set to begin before the end of the month, to be delivered following the same age-based sequencing framework already in use. The campaign will be offering second doses to residents within 13 weeks of their first dose, in order to remain within the nationally recommended 16-week window.
Beginning on May 17, anyone aged 85 or older or who received their first dose before February 15 will be able to receive their second dose from any vaccine clinic or participating pharmacy in the province. Clinics will be making sure the second dose vaccine matches the brand of vaccine administered during the first dose, and the SHA will be sharing which vaccines are available at each clinic to help residents book their appointments appropriately.
Public health expects all second doses to be administered by the end of July. --------Restrictions on Regina restaurants will be lifting on May 17, when all restaurants and licensed establishments will be allowed to resume in-person dining. Regina businesses will be subject to the guidelines in place for the rest of the province, including limiting tables to four individuals, maintaining a distance of at least two metres between tables with barriers or three metres without barriers, and keeping contact information of all patrons. Outdoor patios and decks at bars or restaurants will also have to adhere to keeping at least two metres of distance between tables, with or without barriers.
--------Saskatchewan also released an update on the plan to ease public health restrictions and re-open the province, titled the Re-Opening Roadmap.
Premier Scott Moe shared that the threestep plan is now in play and will rely on vaccination thresholds to determine when each step may occur.
Step One is expected to be reached by the end of May, and will expand both public and private gathering limits, capacity for places of worship and restaurant restrictions.
Step Two, expected to occur by the end of June, will further expand gathering capacities, lift restrictions on retail spaces, restaurants, and recreational sports and allow public venues, libraries and museums to increase capacity.
Step Three is expected to conclude the plan by early to mid-July and will lift the majority of remaining restrictions. Further details on the plan can be found in the article “Sask. releases new three-step re-opening plan expected to conclude by July” in the Moose Jaw Express or online. --------For more information on any of these COVID-19 announcements, visit the COVID-19 Local News tab on MooseJawToday.com for expanded stories.