Here are some highlights from Thursday’s latest Saskatchewan Health Authority news conference including Scott Livingston’s, CEO, and Dr. Saqib Shahab, chief medical health officer for the province.
In his remarks Dr. Shahab emphasized that while deaths and hospitalization were trending down, he emphasized we “ really need to stay the course.”
He pointed to the identification of variants of concern not linked to travel, with showing of some initial start of community transmission as well.
“This compels is to keep practising all the health measures we have been practising successfully, and keep doing that, keep our cases trending down.”
Shahab said testing was an important layer to break the chain of transmission, but noted some people had delayed testing even though they had symptoms for many days, and in some cases continued to go to work leading to outbreaks in workplaces.
He stressed the need to monitor symptoms every day and at the first sign of symptoms to get tested. Shahab also urged people to monitor for symptoms if they took part in interprovincial travel, and to continue to assess your risk.
In Livingstone’s remarks, he expressed condolences to those who had passed away and called it a “sad reminder” that despite the hope of the vaccine it was still critical to take the necessary precautions against the spread.
He said the high numbers of deaths from COVID-19 in the last couple of months have had a “large emotional toll” not just on families and friends but also health care workers.
Livingstone address the issue of vaccine distribution in his opening remarks. He said they were committed to a process that is “fast, fair, transparent and safe.”
He noted they have received a “high volume of questions” about the process for notifying people over 70 years old.
He said the SHA is setting up clinics and will be contacting eligible recipients wherever possible by phone by age and location until all available appointments are filled, contacting the oldest residents first and then descending by age.
They are currently looking at ways towards improving booking and communication process for Phase One and also Phase Two. He mentioned they would be making important changes very soon, moving to a system where residents are able to contact them and choose their vaccination site and vaccination time.
Livingstone also talked about rapid testing. He said Thursday that the province had taken steps to get more rapid testing into more places in the province.
The government has amended medical lab licensing regulations to exempt potential additional sites from needing a lab license to be able to deliver rapid tests. Included will be personal care homes, group homes, detox facilities, emergency shelters and schools. Rapid tests will also be available to ambulances, police, fire, as well as pharmacies and dental offices.
In the question and answer session that followed, Dr. Shahab was asked about the rise in cases in Regina, with a lot of speculation about variants of concern sparking community transmission.
Dr. Shahab cited the need to do all they can to keep numbers low and to minimize the importation of variants of concern.
Dr. Shahab also pointed to active outbreak investigations related to daycares in Regina as behind some of the higher numbers there.
