Those who do not follow the anti-COVID-19 restrictions placed by the Government of Saskatchewan can now be prosecuted by law enforcement agencies.
“I know – we all know – that the vast majority of Saskatchewan people are taking their personal responsibility very seriously and they are following these orders,” said Scott Moe, Saskatchewan’s premier, at a March 20 teleconference. “But there are a few who are not.
“I am particularly concerned about some of those who are returning from foreign travel and are choosing to not self-isolate.”
Once travelers return to Canada, they must self-isolate for two weeks.
“It doesn't mean that you go to the grocery store, or go to the drugstore, or go fill up with gas and then you go home and self-isolate,” Moe said. “It means you go home and you stay home. Now, if you don't do this, you are now breaking the law.”
That violation could result in a $2,000 fine.
As of right now, March 20, the government has placed the following restrictions:
- Public gatherings of more than 25 people in one room are prohibited except where two metre distancing between people can be maintained; workplace and meeting settings where people are distributed into multiple rooms or buildings; and retail locations.
- Nightclubs, bars, lounges and similar facilities are forced to close. Take out of alcohol or food products is permitted with two metre distancing between customers and the delivery of alcohol or food products.
- In-person classes in all primary and secondary educational institutions, both public and private, are suspended.
- Visitors to long-term care homes, hospitals, personal care homes and group homes shall be restricted to family visiting for compassionate reasons.
- All persons that have travelled internationally shall go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days from date of arrival back into Canada.
- All persons who have been identified by a Medical Health Officer as a close contact of a person or persons with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) shall go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days from the date of last having been exposed to COVID-19.
- All persons who have become symptomatic while on mandatory self-isolation shall call HealthLine 811 and follow HealthLine’s directives.
- All persons who are household members of a person having laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 shall immediately go into mandatory self-isolation, call HealthLine 811 and follow HealthLine’s directives.
As of Monday, March 23:
- Restaurants, food courts, cafeterias, cafes, bistros and similar facilities must close. The exceptions are take out with two metre distancing between customers during pick-up; drive through food services; delivery of food products; soup kitchens, not-for-profit community and religious kitchens with two metre distancing between tables.
- All recreational and entertainment facilities including fitness centers, casinos, bingo halls, arenas, curling rinks, swimming pools, galleries, theatres, museums and similar facilities must close.
- All personal service facilities including tattooists, hairdressers, barbers, acupuncturists, acupressurists, cosmetologists, electrologists, estheticians, manicurists, pedicurists, sun tanning parlours, relaxation masseuses, facilities in which body piercing, bone grafting or scarification services must close.
- All dental, optometrist, chiropractic, registered massage therapy and podiatry clinics must close except for emergency procedures.
- All daycare facilities are limited to maximum of eight children unless they can configure the facility so that a maximum of eight children are kept in room and be in accordance with the Saskatchewan child care guidelines for care.
- All daycares that are co-located with a long-term care or personal care home that meet the above restriction shall be segregated with a private entrance so that there are no shared common areas with the home and no interaction between daycare children and residents of the facility.
“These are the measures that are necessary for us to flatten the curve of COVID-19. These are the measures that are necessary for us to reduce the risk to protect our family, to protect our neighbors and to protect our friends,” Moe said.
“But this doesn't work if most of us do it. We all have to. We owe it to one another.”
