Here are highlights from the Sask. Health Authority news conference in Regina Thursday with health minister Paul Merriman, SHA CEO Scott Livingstone and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
At the outset of the news conference Merriman apologized for discrepancies in previously reported data for counts of ICU admissions and data in Regina. The inaccuracy stemmed from how patients receiving their intensive care in a surge bed were being recorded.
That led to inaccurate reporting on the dashboard and in the Saskatchewan news releases. “This is not acceptable,” said Merriman. “The public of Saskatchewan expect and deserve accurate public reporting of the Covid data and Dr. Shahab required accurate data to inform his direction and recommendations to government. We have come up short in this regard.”
At no time was the clinical care of patients impacted, said Livingstone. The data had no impact on the care patients have received, he said.
There was some good news to report on vaccines. Over 200,000 shots have been now delivered to Saskatchewan residents, and Merriman said the pace of vaccines from the federal government was increasing. “This is great news,” said Merriman, who added the deliveries “will never exceed our capacity to deliver them.”
Merriman also announced some new drive thru clinics were opening up this week, as a result of the province receiving allocations of AstraZeneca earlier than expected.
They reported they were expecting approximately 55,000 doses arriving by April 7.
As a result, Saskatchewan Health Authority announced they were opening additional drive-thru and walk-in clinics in communities including North Battleford, whose drive thru clinic is set to open April 4.
Other clinics are slated for Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Swift Current, Prince Albert, and Lloydminster. The drive-thru clinics in Regina and Swift Current will open this Saturday; a walk in clinic in Swift Current will open Friday and in Weyburn Saturday.
Anyone 55 years of age and older will be able to get their shot at these new clinics and these vaccines are first come first serve. Exact hours of operation and clinic locations will be announced the day it begins.
Also as of April 2, 2021, the vaccine age for all Saskatchewan residents to book appointments has dropped to 58 and over.
Merriman thanked health care workers who will be working right through the Easter weekend vaccinating residents. “The road to the end of this pandemic goes right through those clinics,” said Merriman.
Regarding the Easter weekend, Dr. Shahab emphasized this was a weekend to “take care and stay close to our home communities”. If attending services, “look at virtual attendance options — virtual is always safer than in-person.” For shopping, he urged people to physically distance and wear their best mask.
Dr. Shahab also noted the continued high number of cases in Regina, Moose Jaw and Weyburn, but he also expressed concern about other parts of the province with the lower case numbers.
He pointed to the dashboard map of the province and noted low numbers in the majority of the province, but said “this is not the time to let our guard down.”
Dr. Shahab urged people to be “extra diligent” and described the COVID-19 variants as “definitely unforgiving and takes advantage of any lapses in our COVID protocols.”
