Regina To Go Under Partial Lockdown Due To COVID - 19 Variants Of Concern
It was called for by the Official Opposition, the folks on Twitter and the Province promised to take action if the number Variant Of Concern (VOC) cases did not drop in Regina and area - and now it has happened.
The Province has taken action to enact a partial lockdown of the Queen City as the number of VOC cases has been expanding raising concerns the more communicable mutations of the coronavirus that causes COVID - 19 is set to explode if measures were not taken.
VOCs are when the original virus has mutated. The mutations so far have made the coronavirus causing COVID - 19 more communicable between humans.
The new measures do NOT APPLY to Moose Jaw despite the majority of active cases in the city being VOC cases. The local COVID - 19 Leadership Team is closely monitoring the situation as it applies to Moose Jaw.
The local measures for Regina will be reviewed on April 5th.
At the present time there has been 763 VOCs detected by screening in Regina and in south central region, that includes Moose Jaw, the number of VOCs detected by screening is 56.
Effective Immediately the following measures have been enacted for Regina and area":
Indoor Private Gatherings Prohibited in Regina and Area
All private indoor gatherings in the Regina area are prohibited immediately. Regina and area residents may not expand their household "bubble". All indoor gatherings are restricted to immediate household members only.
Persons who live alone and single parents of minor children are permitted to meet with one consistent household of less than five individuals. Co-parenting arrangements are permitted to continue.
Caregivers, support personnel and tradespersons who are not a member of the household are not included in the maximum number of people allowed in that household.
Regina and Area Travel Advisory
A travel advisory is being issued for Regina and area communities. Travel is not recommended in or out of the Regina area unless absolutely necessary.
Regina and Area Work From Home Recommendation
It is strongly recommended that all individuals in the Regina area able to work from home do so.
For the past several weeks, the majority of public service and crown employees in the Regina area that are able to have been working from home. The Deputy Minister to the Premier and President of Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan have both reinforced this direction to all ministry and crown permanent heads that employees in the Regina area that are able to work from home should work from home. In order to maintain important public services, some employees will remain working in their office setting.
Effective 12:01 am, Sunday March 28:
All restaurants and licensed establishments must close for in-person dining. Take-out and delivery is permitted.
Event venues including banquet and community halls, conference facilities, arts venues, museums, libraries, live theatre, cinemas, arcades, bowling and science centres, or any non-essential indoor locations that had limits of 30 individuals are not permitted to operate at this time.
Places of worship in the Regina will remain at the current capacity level, which is a maximum of 30 individuals.
This public health order amendment and recommendations apply to the city of Regina and area including: Belle Plaine, Pense, Grand Coulee, Lumsden Beach, Regina Beach, Craven, Lumsden, Edenwold, Pilot Butte, White City, Balgonie, Kronau, Davin, Gray, Riceton, RM of Lajord, RM of Edenwold, RM of Sherwood, RM of Pense and the RM of Lumsden.
Existing public health orders continue to be in effect for all areas of Saskatchewan outside of the Regina area.
Enforcement of public health orders is permitted under The Public Health Act, 1994.
Public health inspectors and other enforcement officers will be supported in their efforts to ticket violators to ensure that businesses and events are brought into compliance as quickly as possible, in addition to the enforcement efforts that have been undertaken by police agencies throughout the province.
In Moose Jaw the Moose Jaw Police Service has issued only a handful of tickets choosing to instead educate people breaking the public health orders. The largest number issued at one time was five tickets to the main organizers and speakers at a Freedom Rally held in mid-January in the city.