New Restrictions Coming Into Effect To Stop COVID - 19

With the growing number of COVID - 19 cases the Province has announced further measures effective November 19th in the hope of preventing the further spread of the coronavirus. The measures are in effect until December 17th at which time they will be reviewed but the Chief Medical Officer.

Masks

The mandatory use of non-medical masks has been mandated everywhere in the province, not just communities over with a population over 5,000, at the following facilities:

  • All healthcare facilities

  • All long-term care, personal care homes and assisted living facilities

  • Pharmacies

  • Medical service centres and offices

  • Retail businesses

  • Shopping centres and malls

  • Personal services businesses, such as hair and nail salons, spas, body art facilities, except during services that require removing a mask

  • Restaurants and bars, except while eating or drinking while seated in designated areas

  • Places of worship or faith gatherings

  • Places for cultural or entertainment services or activities, such as movie theatres, arcades, concerts and other performances

  • Places for sports and recreational activities, such as a gym, ice arena, pool, gymnastic facility, dance facility or indoor court or field facility, except while participating in physical exertion

  • Places for events, such as conferences and receptions

  • Municipal, provincial or federal government locations offering services to the public

  • Common areas of tourist accommodations/hotels, such as lobbies, elevators and hallways

  • Common areas of office buildings, such as lobbies, elevators and hallways, but not private offices/cubicles

  • Common areas of condo and apartment buildings, such as lobbies, elevators and hallways, but not the private apartment or condo itself.

  • Public areas of a university or college campus, such as library or student union building, classrooms, hallways and other common areas, but not labs, offices or residences (dormitories)

  • Train or bus stations, ferry terminals and airports

  • Public transport, including cabs, ride share services and carpooling.

Masks are not require in the following places:

  • Workplaces to which the public does not have access; unless masks are mandated by the workplace

  • Private homes and residences except for service workers and visitors

  • Private areas of long-term care homes, personal care homes, group homes, and assisted living

  • Private resident areas of communal living, hospitality and workplace accommodations

  • Public indoor areas when eating or drinking while seated or in designated area

The reality of COVID - 19 in the community is displayed in a room in the Emergency Department of the hospital isolated due to a suspected case of COVID - 19 - photo by anonymous source

The reality of COVID - 19 in the community is displayed in a room in the Emergency Department of the hospital isolated due to a suspected case of COVID - 19 - photo by anonymous source

Those exempt from the mandatory mask policy are:

  • Children under 2 years of age

  • Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance

  • Persons actively engaged in physical exercise

Personal Care and Nursing Homes

Visitors to personal care and nursing homes, except for compassionate reasons, are suspended.

Family members can visit for compassionate reasons under the following reasons:

  • Two family members or support persons can be identified to support patients and residents.

  • Only one family member or support person can be present in the facility at a time.

  • Two people can be present at one time if physical distancing can be maintained for:

    • Critical care/intensive care patients

    • End of life/palliative care patients or residents

    • Maternal Services Units (Maternal and Postpartum Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Units)

  • Additional family members or support persons may be identified for end of life, palliative and intensive/critical care, as outlined in the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Family Presence Guidelines.

Private Residence Gathering Sizes Further Reduced

In addition to the measures being adopted by the Province there will be a further reduction in the numbers of visitors who may be present in a dwelling as well as outbuildings such as sheds and garages.

The present limit of ten people will be further reduced to five people.

Households over five people are allowed but there can be no visitors to the household.

There are exemptions to the rules in the for support personnel (home care, therapists) and tradesperson (housekeepers, plumbers, electricians etc) so long as they can maintain the two metre distancing and must be masked while providing services.

The two metre distancing requirement is waved for home care and medical workers where the medical or care service cannot be provided without getting within the two metres.

The 30 people limit outdoors at private residences remains in effect but only applies if there is the ability to maintain two metre distancing between all people. The limit inside of buildings such as garages and sheds is reduced from ten to five.

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