Mayor says Saskatoon gathering bylaw could be adopted within days

Saskatchewan’s largest city is done waiting for the province to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, city council voted 8-3 in favour of drafting a bylaw to limit private gatherings in the city.

Mayor Charlie Clark sent a letter earlier to Premier Scott Moe, Health Minister Paul Merriman and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, asking for a provincial health order restricting gathering sizes where proof of vaccination isn’t required.

The government has so far resisted that call, which Moe reinforced during his State of the Province address on the same day.

“I don’t want to be in this situation at all,” Clark told 650 CKOM’s Brent Loucks Show on Tuesday.

“We know it’s imperfect. We’ve said all along we’re not the right body to regulate health matters. We would much rather have a clear framework that is established by the province.”

Clark said the bylaw would be enacted for 28 days. The rules will state two vaccinated households would be allowed to gather, but the mixing of unvaccinated families would not be permitted.

The bylaw would also apply to private events such as funerals and weddings where there is no proof-of-vaccination requirement.

Clark said private gatherings are where the virus has been allowed to spread.

“This is what the medical health officers are saying is what is needed to try and get the cases and ICU numbers going in the right direction,” said Clark.

“At this point, given the urgency of the situation, it’s better to do something than nothing at all.”

As of Monday, there were 293 COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals, with 71 of those in intensive care. In Saskatoon, there were 32 ICU cases among the 124 hospitalizations.

Saskatoon had 683 active cases as of Monday.

City administration is currently drafting the bylaw, which Clark said could be ready by Friday and voted on at a special council meeting.