Sask. needs 28K more people to get first shot to reach final step of reopening plan

The earliest date Saskatchewan could remove large gathering restrictions and indoor mask mandates is July 11, but approximately 28,300 more people need a first dose by Sunday to meet that target.

At the current pace, the province will fall short of that mark.

The provincial government has said it will remove those final major restrictions three weeks after it reaches a goal of 70 per cent of people 12 and over with one dose of vaccine, as long as three weeks have also passed since the beginning of Step 2, which begins on Sunday.

The province has administered 22,000 first doses in the past seven days. Over the same time period, 74,000 people have received their second shot.

"I just once again encourage everyone in Saskatchewan who has not went out and got their first shot to this point to now is the time, now is the time. Vaccines have never been more plentiful and never been more accessible in your community or close to you. Don't put it off any longer," Moe said Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority announced a first-dose vaccination surge plan focused on pop-up clinics in core neighbourhoods and places where people "live, work and play."

SHA emergency operations centre lead Derek Miller said officials have detailed information at the neighbourhood level of where vaccine uptake is low.

Miller said officials "have a good understanding on the ground of what might be some of the barriers and obstacles for people to get out to get the vaccine."

He said they are targeting "core neighbourhoods to bring it to those communities that might have lower uptake."

Neighbourhood clinics are one strategy, targeting under-vaccinated age groups is another.

Miller said those under 50 years of age have had lower vaccine uptake, so the vaccine clinics will come to where people are.

For example, a mobile clinic for first doses opened on Wednesday at Regina's outdoor Scarth Street Mall, near the city's farmer's market.

On Saturday, the government is launching several clinics all across the province. The full list can be found here.

Three outdoor clinics in the Regina area have unique settings:

• Mosaic Stadium, meet and greet with Gainer and Rider alumni at field level from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST.
• Wascana Park from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CST.
• Regina Beach.

"We know we have a lower uptake if you're under 40 than if you're older and that has really driven a lot of the decisions about access, about taking it to where people live, work and play," Miller said.

Miller said the SHA is aiming "to provide easy, convenient access" to a first dose. 

As of Tuesday, 49,000 (32 per cent) of people aged 40 to 49 had not received a first dose compared to 79,000 (43 per cent) of people aged 30 to 39 and 93,000 (49 per cent) of people aged 18 to 29.