Province signals move to a living with COVID-19 strategy

Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, Saskatchewan’s Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, also spoke on the importance of booster shots and Saskatchewan’s vaccination strategy.

She noted vaccinations are providing a clear benefit as reporting does look at the vaccination status of people who have severe outcomes from COVID, including hospitalization and ICU admissions.

“We continue to see that people who are unvaccinated continue to be at the highest risk for those severe outcomes,” Dr. Kryzanowski said.

“Recent data looking at the unvaccinated compared to those with a booster dose shows that they were four times more at risk of hospitalization, and then comparing people who are unvaccinated to people fully vaccinated but without a booster still three times higher rates for hospitalization if unvaccinated.”

“We do know that with a booster dose that does provide some protection against infection even with Omicron, but we also know that that protection wains over time. So it doesn’t provide that same protection against infection,” she said. “So that’s the reason that we continue to say that vaccines provide safe and effective protection, and getting fully vaccinated, including with a booster dose if you’re eligible, provides the best protection.”

Dr. Shahab added there is no timeframe for amending Public Health orders, as the province anticipates a lag in Omicron hospitalizations which will continue to put pressure on the healthcare system following the peak of

Omicron numbers.

“We do need to acknowledge that we are in a better place. We need to stay the course for now. And we will see. Omicron did go up more quickly than previous waves. Will it come down as quickly? That’s what we hope for and anticipate,” he said. “But ultimately any decisions on further public health measures will be made by government.”