Key Takeaways:
- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is expected to unveil a roadmap on Tuesday that lays out a plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions following the peak of the Omicron wave.
- On the other hand, a platform, such as the current government smartphone app, is required for proof of vaccination or a negative test policy.
Following the peak of the Omicron wave, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is expected to reveal a roadmap on Tuesday that lays out a plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
The premier and chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, will speak at a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday.
On Monday, Moe told talk show host John Gormley on 650 CKOM and 980 CJME, “We’re going to chart the course forward over the next few weeks, throughout February.”
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Currently, public health orders in Saskatchewan require people infected with COVID-19 to be isolated, facemasks to be worn in indoor public spaces, and proof of vaccination or a negative test to be required in most businesses.
The orders are set to lapse at the end of Feb, but Moe has hinted that he may end them sooner.
Saskatchewan residents, according to Moe, are in a “strong position” to assess their COVID-19 risks, including via the help of rapid antigen tests. He also urged people to get immunized and, if they become infected, to seek out treatments such as monoclonal antibodies and the recently released Paxlovid.
“We’ve seen a drop in our numbers.” “Our hospitalizations are now beginning to decline,” Moe said.
According to InputSask, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s online feedback portal, roughly 60% of business owners and stakeholders support lifting the vaccine passport or negative rest necessity by the end of the month. The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce published the findings.
According to inographics released on Monday, 32% of people said they didn’t want the requirement removed, while only 6% wanted more restrictions.
A separate survey conducted by the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce drew over 500 participants. It was discovered that 61% of business owners and stakeholders still want the option of requiring customers to wear masks or physically separate themselves from them.
Proof of vaccination or negative test policy, on the other hand, necessitates a platform, such as the current government smartphone app.
“Businesses believe that if the technology and legal protections were available, that particular tool could be continued voluntarily,” stated Jason Aebig, CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.
Although most survey respondents support voluntary vaccine verification, only 46% said they would implement the policy at their company, with 40% saying they would not and 14% saying they were unsure.
Source: Global News
