.png;w=960)
SASKATOON — With Delta variant cases going up, Mayor Charlie Clark is again encouraging everyone to get the full dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine and is also pushing for certain limitations for people who refuse to get vaccinated.
There are 216 new cases on Wednesday, 174 of which are among people who are unvaccinated while 11 had received their first dose and 31 were fully vaccinated. There are currently 455 active cases in Saskatoon
Clark, in a message to his constituents, said recent data has showed the Delta variant has become the dominant strain not only in the city but also in the province with Saskatoon becoming a hotspot as cases are rising.
“There are twice as many people hospitalized today as there were on August 1st in the province. COVID is spreading most rapidly among younger populations–especially 18 to 40 years old,” said Clark.
“Our health care system is being stretched. Staff are worn out trying to save people and keep us healthy, and local public health officers and their teams can no longer keep up with contact tracing.”
He added that people need to get vaccinated.
“We are sitting at only 68 percent of the population vaccinated — we need to get to at least 85 per cent. Fall is coming, schools will be opening, we will have more indoor activities. Things will only get worse. The most important thing we can do is to get from 68 per cent to 85 per cent of people vaccinated.”
Clark suggested that measures must be put in place for people who don’t want to get vaccinated that put limits or conditions on how much they can participate in community activities.
"This includes vaccine passports, vaccination requirements for certain activities, mandatory testing, etc. The policies released by the Western Hockey League, University of Saskatchewan, SaskPolytechnic, Amigo’s restaurant, and others are good examples.”
He added that they are going to put new policies in place to continue delivering services despite the pandemic.
“The City of Saskatoon is still finalizing our policies for employees and also for our public services such as Transit and Leisure Centers.”
“I am proud of how we have continually adapted to keep people safe, and we will keep doing so. We will have announcements in the coming days about measures for the fall. I believe we are going to have to get used to wearing masks inside again and practicing physical distancing.”
Clark again reminded everyone to get tested if suddenly you feel sick or exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19.
“If you have an outbreak in your workplace, please take steps to ensure people can isolate and stay home. Continue to be safe out there in the community. We will get through this, Saskatoon.”
