Regina region placed under stricter public health measures

The recent rash of COVID-19 cases in the Regina region has resulted in stricter public health measures.

The Saskatchewan government said Tuesday that due to the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Regina area, changes are being made to the public health order. The amendments are to remain in place until April 5 and, Premier Scott Moe said, “very likely” will be extended beyond that.

“Despite all the best efforts of everyone in Regina, the numbers have continued to climb, necessitating the need for the additional measures announced today,” Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said during a media conference.

“They will be in place for as short a period of time as it takes to hopefully turn things around and have Regina also trending downward like the rest of Saskatchewan.”

As of Tuesday, all private indoor gatherings in the Regina area are prohibited. Any indoor gatherings are limited to members of an immediate household only.

People who live alone and single parents of children can meet with one, consistent household of fewer than five people. Co-parenting arrangements can continue.

Caregivers, support personnel and tradespersons who aren’t a member of the household are not included in the maximum number of people allowed in that household.

As well, a travel advisory is being implemented for Regina and surrounding communities. Unnecessary travel in or out of the Regina area is not recommended.

“We recognize that some people will have to travel in and out of the city for work (or) for medical appointments,” Moe said. “We’re asking you not to enter or leave the city just simply to visit or to shop.”

The government also recommended people in the area work from home, including government and Crown corporation employees.

Starting Sunday at 12:01 a.m., all restaurants and licensed establishments are required to close for in-person dining. Takeout and delivery are allowed.

Venues such as banquet and community halls, conference facilities, arts venues, museums, libraries, live theatres, cinemas, arcades, bowling and science centres, or any non-essential indoor locations that previously had a limit of 30 individuals also must close.

Places of worship in the Regina area can have a maximum of 30 individuals.

Places like gyms can remain open, but Shahab warned they may have to be “doubly diligent.”

Moe previously has said the existing public health measures were sufficient, which is why the government didn’t strengthen them before now.

On Tuesday, he was asked during the media conference why the public health order was changing if the previous measures were thought to be working.

“The public health measures are proving to be very effective,” he replied. “In the case of Regina, what has changed or what is different than it was a short while ago is the concentration of the variants in Regina.”

The new orders 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, the RM of Lajord, the RM of Edenwold, the RM of Sherwood, the RM of Pense and the RM of Lumsden.

According to the Ministry of Health, the Regina region has 763 of the 891 variant cases that have been detected by screening in Saskatchewan. The zone also has 312 of the 360 confirmed cases of variants of concern determined by whole genome sequencing in the province.

The ministry also revealed 91 of the 150 new cases reported in the province on Tuesday were in the Regina region. The zone has recorded 540 new cases over the past six days.

“We are putting in very significant measures for as short a time as we need to, but this is essential to bend the curve down from what otherwise would be very concerning trend for Regina and then it could start impacting other parts of Saskatchewan as well,” Shahab said.

NDP calls for ‘circuit-breaker’

Earlier Tuesday, the Saskatchewan NDP called for a short-term “circuit-breaker” in the Regina region to curtail the spread of COVID in the area.

“Families are looking for leadership that has not come from this government,” Leader Ryan Meili said in a media release. “The worst threat to business is Scott Moe’s complete failure of leadership in getting this pandemic under control. He saw the modelling, he knew this was happening, and he chose to relax restrictions instead of protecting Saskatchewan people.

“His gamble on the vaccine being the only answer is a gamble with people’s lives and livelihoods.”

The NDP called on the government to reduce household bubbles to previous levels, move bars and restaurants to delivery and takeout only, move workers in the civil service and Crown sectors to work from home, advise against any non-essential travel to and from Regina, and expand the measures to other communities if there’s evidence of variant spread elsewhere.

Many of its recommendations were in the government’s new public health order.

“Because of the Sask. Party’s inaction, we must now call for what we all hoped could be avoided: A targeted, short-term circuit-breaker in Regina and area,” said Health Critic Vicki Mowat. “It is the only way to get case numbers down and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed while vaccines are deployed.

“We must also keep a close eye on conditions in the rest of our province. Regina is not an island and it is very possible the variants will begin to spread more quickly and soon.”