Premier Asks Moose Javians To Be Extra Diligent So Extra Restrictions Are Not Necessary

“Moose Jaw is on red alert and we have to watch that,” Dr Saqib Shahab said at Tuesday’s media update on COVID - 19.

In a news conference where many in the community were thinking there could be further public health order measures enacted that would impact Moose Jaw none were announced.

Instead Premier Scott Moe asked residents of Moose Jaw to be extra diligent.

“I re-iterate what the Mayor of Moose Jaw said in a press release to be very careful and follow the public health measures,” Premier Moe said. “We have to be even more diligent in Moose Jaw.”

Earlier in the day Mayor Fraser Tolmie asked Moose Jaw residents to voluntarily enter into a semi-locked down state similar to the restrictions enacted in Regina. Mayor Tolmie’s news release asked Moose Javians not to congregate in indoor situations so as to prevent the spread of Variants Of Concern (VOC) COVID - 19 in the community.

Dr Shahab said despite the numbers being higher in Moose Jaw there was no need to enact tougher restrictions so long as people were extra careful and kept the numbers of COVID - 19 cases down.

“We have to stay the course. As the Premier says if we have to we will tighten the restrictions,” he said.

Premier Moe said he was confident Moose Jaw as a community would rise to the challenge and keep the numbers low so as not to overwhelm the abilities of the healthcare system to handle the number of cases.

“I have faith in the people of this province. The last thing we would do is to enact restrictions,” he said because restrictions will lead to people losing their jobs and businesses being economically impacted. “We are asking people to be extra diligent in everything we do every day.”

“I continue to have faith in the people of this province. And I continue to have faith in the people of Moose Jaw,” Premier Moe said.

He said he did not favour enacting restrictions as a first step to control the virus but to rely upon people to follow the rules and be extra careful to control the virus.

“We are going to make every effort to preserve the jobs we have today,” he said.

Premier Moe pinned his hopes on a rapid vaccination program over the next few weeks as the end of the COVID - 19 pandemic in the province.

“What actually works is vaccination and that is why we are targeting vaccines in Moose Jaw and other areas (with higher levels of VOCs),” he said.

The Premier said over the next 15 to 20 days the goal is to get 180,000 vaccine doses into the arms of the people of Saskatchewan while targeting areas with higher levels of COVs including Moose Jaw.

Despite not enacting more measures and restrictions the government is going to maintain a close watch on Moose Jaw and if there is a rapid rise in the number of cases which would overwhelm existing healthcare resources that restrictive measures would be taken.

Dr Shahab said the best thing people in Moose Jaw could do is to look at the restrictions that are in effect at the present time in Regina and to voluntarily emulate them.

Premier Moe said with vaccines now appearing in larger numbers that the end of the pandemic was just a few months off.