Meili Calls On Premier To Enact Restrictions On Moose Jaw Due To Variants Of Concern

By Robert Thomas

With the growing number of COVID - 19 Variants Of Concern cases in Moose Jaw the leader of the Official Opposition has called on Premier Scott Moe to impose further restrictions on Moose Jaw.

Dr Ryan Meili in a Sunday morning tweet called on Premier Scott Moe to enact lockdown measures on the community as the number of cases in the community is rising and he asks the measures be taken so as things in Moose Jaw do not “get out of control” as they have in Regina.

VOC or Variants Of Concern are mutations of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which causes COVID - 19 have arisen in the community. The variants are more transmissible than the original strain of the virus. Viruses normally mutate over time in order to get around the immune responses of their hosts.

As of today (March 28, 2021) there has been 104 VOCs detected in the South Central zone which includes Moose Jaw and area second only to Regina in the province (see the chart below)

The original SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus jumped from an animal (most likely a bat) to a human and VOCs are mutations which allow the virus to more readily spread amongst humans.

Over the past week the province’s chief medical Dr Saqib Shahab has said if the situation continued to regress in Moose Jaw that further restrictions could be enacted in the community.

On Friday both the Prairie South School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division announced after consultation with public health officials they were closing schools effective Monday and moved to an on-line or distance learning model because of concerns of the rising numbers of VOC cases in the community. Both divisions are expected to re-open their schools following the Easter break.

Provincially the number of elderly people who have received vaccinations is continuing with a majority of the recent cases of COVID - 19 being found in people under 50, Dr Shahab said at the Thursday afternoon news briefing.

At the present time there are 91 active cases of COVID - 19 (VOC and non-VOC) in Moose Jaw and area.