Premier Scott Moe (Lisa Schick/980 CJME file photo)

By CKOM

status quo

Saskatchewan extends public health order until Jan. 31

Nov 25, 2021 | 11:59 AM

Saskatchewan is maintaining the status quo with its public health order.

On Thursday, the provincial government announced it was extending the current public health order until Jan. 31 as the province continues to battle COVID-19. The current public health order was to expire at the end of November.

The order will be re-examined at the end of January.

The extension of the current order means masks will still be mandatory in all indoor public spaces including schools, and proof of vaccination or negative test requirements will still be required for people to gain access to a certain establishments, businesses and event venues.

Anyone who needs proof of a negative COVID-19 test will have to get their results through a private provider. At-home self-tests won’t be accepted as proof of negative test.

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The news of the extension comes as the fourth wave of COVID is waning in Saskatchewan.

Since Oct. 25, active cases in the province have dropped by 65 per cent (from 2,822 to 994 as of Wednesday) and hospitalizations are down nearly 50 per cent (from 293 to 148 on Wednesday). There also are seven patients from Saskatchewan being treated in Ontario intensive care units.

In that same time frame, the total number of cases has increased by about five per cent (from 76,481 to 80,571) while the number of recoveries has gone up by eight per cent (from 72,842 to 78,663).

The province continues to push vaccination as the best way for residents to protect themselves against COVID.

As of Wednesday, more than 1.71 million doses of COVID vaccines had been administered in Saskatchewan and nearly 830,000 people had received two doses.

As well, children between the ages of five and 11 now are eligible to be vaccinated – something the province expects will decrease the risk of transmission in communities.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is holding vaccination clinics around the province and pharmacies continue to offer shots as well.

More to come.

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