Province says it will spend what’s needed

While there’s no money set aside in the provincial spending plan released Wednesday specifically to deal with the COVID -19 pandemic, Saskatchewan’s finance minister is assuring residents the government will “be there for what it will cost.”

“Hopefully our proactive decisions that we’ve made here in Saskatchewan, as well as across Canada, will work,” said Donna Harpauer during her address.

“The idea is that if we can self-isolate and ... slow numbers and not have a catastrophic spike, then it won’t tax the health system quite so much.”

If not, she said the government’s “very strong cash position of $1.3 billion” makes it well positioned to manage and provide additional resources to address the health and economic hardships of COVID -19 as needed.

Harpauer said the government is waiting for more details on financial support from the federal government and how that will impact Saskatchewan residents and businesses.

“Once we see the federal package, which they are giving us (Wednesday), and then there will be a federal budget, we’ll be meeting with the industry’s meeting with individuals and finding out if there’s any gaps and maybe perhaps there’s something the province can do there,” she said. “We don’t know yet.”

Other provinces have already started to dole out financial aid for those affected by the virus.

On Monday, Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King announced an initial $25 million Emergency Contingency Fund to support Island workers, including the self-employed, and small businesses who are affected.

According to Premier Scott Moe, other provinces have also provided a number in their budgets for money to go toward their respective COVID-19 responses.

“I don’t know what that number will be in Saskatchewan, but whatever it is, that funding will be there,” said Moe.

Although not specifically for COVID-19 efforts, the government will provide the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) with a $3.74 billion grant this year, an increase of $140.6 million, or 3.9 per cent over last year. Moe said this, along with other capacity building measures taking place, will help the system better respond to pandemic needs that arise.

No one in Saskatchewan has had to be hospitalized for COVID -19, which limits the cost to the health care system, noted Harpauer, but that could change any day. To help prepare and build capacity the SHA is discontinuing all non-urgent/ elective surgeries, procedures and diagnostics as of March 23.

It will allow the SHA to redeploy nurses and other staff, ensure medical supplies and personal protective equipment are available when needed and reduce risk of further exposure to our care providers and patients, said a government release.

Investments in ventilators and testing kits have been made, said Moe, but more will be needed if people need hospitalization. The Ministry of Health is working on estimating potential additional costs, but he said no numbers could be shared at this time.

On Wednesday afternoon, the province announced the number of cases in Saskatchewan had doubled from eight to 16.