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Thursday, March 28, 2024
Home News Shahab urges residents to avoid unnecessary gatherings for next 2 to 4 weeks

Shahab urges residents to avoid unnecessary gatherings for next 2 to 4 weeks

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Shahab urges residents to avoid unnecessary gatherings for next 2 to 4 weeks
Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab. (Screenshot)

Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer urged residents to reduce gathering sizes, wear masks, and avoid all unnecessary trips outside the house as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Saskatchewan.

Dr. Saqib Shahab told reporters on Thursday that an estimated 95 per cent of all COVID case transfers were the Omicron variant. Shahab said the evidence points to Omicron being less severe than Delta, but the speed at which it spreads made it necessary to take precautions.

“We can’t totally avoid a surge,” Shahab said during a media update on Thursday. “But, the lower we can keep it, and whatever we can do to keep it going from one community to another prematurely, I think is important.”

Shahab said everyone wants to move on from the stage where travel from community to community is not recommended. However, he said residents should cease doing so for the next two to four weeks to limit the spread.

Shahab advised residents to travel within their communities for work or school, but urged them to avoid any non-essential gatherings or activities.

“Right now I’m saying, ‘don’t have any gatherings,’” he said during the media update. “We need to do everything to blunt the wave. This is not the time for any gatherings at all. You should do what is essential, which means going to work or going to school, but otherwise not have any contacts with anyone outside your household. This is critical to blunt the wave.”

Shahab estimated that about 30 to 40 per cent of Omicron cases have been identified by PCR testing. The province reported 913 new cases on Thursday, along with 100 total hospitalizations.

Shahab said the Omicron variant is less severe, although he hesitated to use the word ‘mild.’ He pointed out that other jurisdictions, like the U.K., are seeing fewer direct hospitalizations and ICU patients as a result of the virus, but the danger to people with underlying risk factors hadn’t changed.

Shahab declined to comment on what recommendations he made to the provincial government, but said the government may have to consider stronger public health measures if the surge gets under control.

As of Thursday, Saskatchewan has 42 inpatient hospitalizations due to COVID-19 related illnesses, and 39 more hospitalizations that are incidental. These are asymptomatic patients who were taken to the hospital with other issues, and tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving. Another seven inpatient cases have not been determined. The province reported 12 residents in ICU, one of which was incidental.

Going forward, Saskatchewan’s dashboard will include information about the number of asymptomatic incidental COVID patients in hospital. Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) president Marlo Pritchard said some aspects of the dashboard would be unavailable over the weekend while ITs perform maintenance.