Starting Sunday, all long-term and personal care homes can allow their residents to have an unlimited number of visitors and family members. That’s dependent on scheduling limitations at the home.
All visitors will be screened for COVID symptoms and will be offered rapid antigen testing in facilities operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
“Visitors and families are strongly encouraged to continue to wear masks during visits and to maintain physical distance, especially if not fully vaccinated,” the government said in a release.
“Staff will continue to take recommended precautions to protect residents including staff masking, screening, rapid testing and use of personal protective equipment.”
A woman who lost her job at a long term care home in Melfort after attending a freedom rally in Prince Albert last spring, says it was never her intention to hurt anyone.
Jackie Marshall and her adult daughter were among the roughly 100 people who attended the rally in Prince Albert last April. Protestors there denounced the restrictions and downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. Speaking publicly for the first time since the event, Marshall told
paNOW her reason for going was simply because she was curious, and wanted to hear from both sides on the issue.
“I just felt I needed to see what goes on. I was on my way to Prince Albert anyway so I thought I am going to see what a rally is all about,” she said.
SASKATOON Saskatchewan s official opposition is calling for more action in the province s north as Hatchet Lake Dene Nation grapples with an outbreak linked to 109 cases as of Tuesday. “This is a crisis, and this government needs to act. Long-standing housing and infrastructure shortages in the community are making the problem worse,” said NDP northern affairs critic Doyle Vermette said in a news release. The party says it is concerned that 20 per cent of cases are thought to be related to the Delta variant strain of COVID-19. The NDP called on the Sask. Party government to take steps such as deploying mobile vaccination teams, work with leaders to increase vaccination rates in the north and address the looming crisis around lack of patients isolation space and potential need for ventilators.
Necessary updates will be provided by Moe, Shahab or the Saskatchewan Health Authority as needed, said Moe, as the province moves from pandemic into endemic mode. “Of course, if something changes in our situation, we will most certainly keep Saskatchewan residents up to date,” said Moe. All public health orders and the provincial state of emergency order are set to be removed entirely on July 11, after which the province will be returning to what many are calling “normal.” “After 485 days of public health restrictions in place, of the government telling you how to live your life, those restrictions will end,” said Moe.
This includes the removal of the province-wide mandatory masking order and the removal of limits on events and gathering sizes. The public health order requiring masking in indoor spaces will end, but masking will continue to be an option for all residents who wish to do so. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people should still consider masking. It is the choice of an individual business or facility to implement their own masking policy. If you enter a facility that requires a mask, patrons must respect the decision of the business and either comply or choose not to visit the establishment. Policies regarding safe businesses and workplaces are determined by individual Occupational Health and Safety plans. Endemic COVID-19 transmission should be considered as part of these plans. Communicate those plans with staff and/or clients to ensure that all are familiar with the policies in place.