Current COVID-19 restrictions 'don't go far enough,' majority of Sask. residents say: survey

Two out of three Saskatchewan respondents to a recent survey said the government's current COVID-19 restrictions don't go far enough.

In a survey of more than 1,500 people by the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), 67 per cent said the current rules are insufficient.

About 25 per cent said they "are about right," and only nine per cent of respondents said the government restrictions "go too far."

The survey is part of an ongoing SPHERU study on COVID-19 and behaviour. The latest round was conducted between Nov. 23, 2020 and Jan. 2, 2021, and involved 1,544 people.

Nazeem Muhajarine, a University of Saskatchewan epidemiologist who is involved with the survey, said the numbers are consistent with other research. He said the public clearly wants the government to take much more meaningful steps to contain the pandemic.

"I'm really not sure what the rationale, the thought processes are behind no action from the government," Muhajarine said.

The survey suggests that calls for more action are strongest among people in large urban centres (77 per cent), residents under 50 years of age (71 per cent) and women (69 per cent). But a majority of men, rural residents and the elderly also supported more restrictions.

No one from the Ministry of Health could be reached for comment Thursday morning. In previous statements, government officials have said they are trying to strike the right balance between those who want more restrictions and those who want fewer.

"With our public health measures, some people say it's too little, some people say it's too much," Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said this week. 

"But, you know, they try to strike a fine balance between minimizing cases, as long as the guidelines are followed, and letting people work [and] enjoy other amenities as much as possible."

In recent days, officials pointed to the slight declines in new daily case numbers.

"We don't require additional measures in this province," Premier Scott Moe said earlier this week. "What we require and what we ask is that everyone follow the existing measures. They work. They proved to work before Christmas. They've been working since Christmas."

Short-term pain for faster recovery

Muhajarine said that thinking is flawed because it's clear most people want action. Yes, case numbers have deceased slightly, but deaths and hospitalizations have surged to record levels, he said.

For example, he said the evidence is clear that in-person, unmasked dining and drinking in restaurants and bars is spreading the virus and must end. Those businesses could still offer takeout meals, he suggested.

Muhajarine said no one wants to see businesses face further restrictions, but that short-term pain would help society and the economy recover faster. 

"That leads to fewer deaths, fewer new cases, and the hope to come out of this sooner rather than later," he said.

Muhajarine said there also needs to be far greater enforcement of the existing rules, and established targets to measure progress.

Respondents to the SPHERU survey came from the Canadian Hub for Applied Social Research (CHASR) online panel, augmented by volunteers. Weighting for age, sex, and residence location was applied using 2016 census population data for Saskatchewan adults to better represent the population, Muhajarine said.

CBC Saskatchewan wants to hear how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you. Share your story with our online questionnaire.