‘The dam broke:’ Saskatoon councillors unanimously vote to ask province for special public health orders

Saskatoon’s city council has voted to ask for special restrictions to be placed on gathering sizes in the city by the Saskatchewan government.

City councillors have unanimously voted to send a letter to Premier Scott Moe, Health Minister Paul Merriman and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab asking for help to try and curb COVID-19 transmissions in the city.

They’re requesting Dr. Shahab issue a special Public Health Order for Saskatoon to impose certain gathering restrictions.

According to a report from the City, they include:

• A limit of 150 person maximum capacity at event facilities, casinos, bingo halls, theatres, art galleries, libraries and recreational facilities, or 1/3 of the current capacity, whichever is less, to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained.
• A limit of 15 people at private gatherings, including household gatherings.
• A limit of 150 people at public indoor gatherings and private indoor gatherings or 1/3 of the current capacity, whichever is less, to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained.
• A limit of 150 people at public outdoor gatherings with physical distancing in place.

However, the letter would include provisions that if the event or facility has a policy requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior, it would then be exempt.

Prior to the vote, Saskatoon medical health officer Dr. Jasmine Hasselbeck said she supported the initiatives and told councillors, “the dam broke.”

“When we think about what public health was attempting to do in trying to keep that COVID-19 at bay, keeping those numbers down, keeping that curve flattened- whatever variation of the same that we’ve gone through in the last two years… it really did (break) here in Saskatoon,” she said.

University of Saskatchewan respirologist Dr. Mark Fenton talked about the impact COVID cases have had, not only on provincial Intensive Care Units, but with acute care services, telling council the system can now only plan and react to public behaviour with respect to the spread of the virus, especially with very few public health orders.

Hospitalization rates are rising, he said, and they will continue to do so in the coming weeks. Saskatoon, he added, is bearing much of the burden.

Fenton asked about “best practices” at this time- things that people should be doing to help get the city and province out of the fourth wave faster.

“Sadly, I think our population has proven that we need rules and not ‘encouragements.'”