COVID-19 in Sask: Phase 5 of provincial reopening plan coming June 2021

The Saskatchewan government has slated Phase 5 of its reopening plan, which includes the lifting of long-term restrictions, for June 2021, according to Premier Scott Moe.

Dr. Saqib Shahab, the chief medical health officer, and Moe defended the government's pace of reopening its economy at a provincial update in Regina when the duo was repeatedly asked whether or not re-opening could be accelerated.

The province said more information will be released about Phase 4 next week and that Phase 4 will be split into two parts. No date has been set for Phase 4 yet. Phase 3 begins Monday.

"We're trying to be cautious but not at all slow, and trying to engage in everything we can in a systematic way — with clear guidance — that all of us should be familiar with," Shahab said. 

"We think this is really important for us to continue to move forward while keeping case numbers low."

It is in Phase 5 that the province might consider doing something like lifting the limit on the number of people at gatherings.

Phase 4.1, as referred by the premier, will include child and youth day camps, outdoor pools and spray parks and seasonal or recreational outdoor activities.

Phase 4.2 will allow for the opening of indoor pools, museums, libraries, indoor rinks, galleries, movie theatres, casinos and bingo halls. This portion of the phase could include an increase on group limits to 30 people, indoors and out.

Shahab said the phases are spaced out over several weeks, so while there is no date set, it gives people a general idea of when it might be announced.

"The largest reason that our numbers are good is because we have been so very careful as individuals," Moe said. "We may be viewed as moving a little slow on a few items but we need to ensure we are moving safely."

Job subsidy for care workers expanded

On Thursday, the province also announced it had expanded eligibility for the Saskatchewan Temporary Wage Supplement Program to include people working at the licensed public or private long-term care facilities which are currently under visitation restrictions.

Moe touted Saskatchewan's record, compared to other jurisdictions, noting that 87 per cent of the province's workforce retained their job during the pandemic.

The program will also extend to certain workers in assisted living facilities but only employees who are earning less than $24 per hour during the four-week period they have applied for it.

"To be eligible, these workers must also have total earnings of less than $2,500 (gross), including earnings from work outside an eligible essential care facility, in the four-week period for which the worker has applied for the supplement," a provincial news release said.

1 new case in Saskatoon area

A new case of COVID-19 has been detected in the Saskatoon area, the Saskatchewan government announced on Thursday. There have been 648 cases recorded overall in Saskatchewan.

Six more recoveries were also announced, meaning there have been 608 recoveries in the province since the virus was first detected in March.

The province processed 783 tests on Tuesday, bringing the total to 49,915.

There are 29 known active cases in the province, with 18 of them in the far north region, two in the north region, four in the Saskatoon area, four in the Regina area and one in the southern region.

There have been 257 cases reported in the far north region overall, along with 112 cases in the north region, 170 in the Saskatoon area, 80 in the Regina area, 17 in the southern region and 12 in the central region.

The province has traced 143 cases to travel and 389 cases to community contacts or mass gatherings. Another 39 cases still are being investigated. There are 77 cases with no known exposure.

Two people are in hospital, both in intensive care units in Saskatoon. Eleven deaths have been recorded since the virus was first detected in the province in March.