Government to review, cancel City of Regina emergency order

The government of Saskatchewan provided clarity on an emergency order motion voted on Friday by the City of Regina and said it would be reviewing, and likely cancelling it. 

The province's news release on Sunday warned municipalities that the province will take action if any municipality issues an order contrary to provincial emergency standards. 

The provincial restrictions apply to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities.

"If a municipality implements an order which provides contrary standards, the province will take measures to ensure that the provincial emergency measure takes precedence," the news release said. 

"During this time of great uncertainty, it is of the utmost importance that we provide certainty to Saskatchewan residents and make every effort to minimize confusion," said Lori Carr, minister of government relations, in the statement. 

She said the ministry of government relations has been in contact with both the City of Regina and the Town of Gravelbourg, who both made their own emergency declarations, to clarify their position.

In a news conference Sunday afternoon, Carr said the government will be conducting an order in council to cancel the city's order.

Carr said the province currently does not have any restrictions around retail operations and said those could remain open for business. 

The following previously announced restrictions are effective throughout Saskatchewan:

• Public gatherings of more than 25 people in one room are prohibited except where two-metre distancing between people can be maintained; workplace and meeting settings where people are distributed into multiple rooms or buildings; and retail locations (ie. grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations).
• The closure of all nightclubs, bars, lounges and similar facilities. Take out of alcohol or food products is permitted with two-metre distancing between customers and the delivery of alcohol or food products.
• In-person classes in all primary and secondary educational institutions, both public and private, are suspended.
• Visitors to long-term care homes, hospitals, personal care homes, and group homes shall be restricted to family visiting for compassionate reasons.

Mandatory Self-Isolation:

• Effective immediately, all persons that have travelled internationally shall go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days from date of arrival back into Canada.
• Health care workers who have traveled internationally, truckers, rail, airline or other working crews are exempt from this advisory only if they are required to work to maintain essential services, provide emergency health care services and maintain supply chain, and are supervised by infection, prevention control officers and/or occupational health and safety in the workplace.
• All persons who have been identified by a medical health officer as a close contact of a person or persons with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) shall go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days from the date of last having been exposed to COVID-19.
• All persons who have become symptomatic while on mandatory self-isolation shall call HealthLine 811 and follow HealthLine's directives.
• All persons who are household members of a person having laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 shall immediately go into mandatory self-isolation, call HealthLine 811 and follow HealthLine's directives.

Effective Monday:

• The closure of restaurants, food courts, cafeterias, cafes, bistros and similar facilities. Exceptions are take out services with two metre distancing between customers during pick-up; drive-thru food services; delivery of food products; soup kitchens, not-for-profit community and religious kitchens with two metre distancing between tables.
• The closure of all recreational and entertainment facilities including fitness centres, casinos, bingo halls, arenas, curling rinks, swimming pools, galleries, theatres, museums and similar facilities.
• The closure of all personal service facilities including tattooists, hairdressers, barbers, acupuncturists, acupressurists, cosmetologists, electrologists, estheticians, manicurists, pedicurists, suntanning parlours, relaxation masseuses and facilities in which body piercing, bone grafting or scarification services take place.
• The closure of dental, optometrist, chiropractic, registered massage therapy and podiatry clinics except for non-elective procedures.
• All daycare facilities are limited to a maximum of eight children unless they can configure the facility so that a maximum of eight children are kept in room and be in accordance with the Saskatchewan childcare guidelines for care.
• All daycares that are co-located with a long-term care or personal care home that meet the above restriction shall be segregated with a private entrance so that there are no shared common areas with the home and no interaction between daycare children and residents of the facility.