EAST CENTRAL — Masks will be required in indoor public places in Humboldt, Melfort, Nipawin and all communities with populations of more than 5,000.
Due to their proximity to Saskatoon, the new masking rules also apply to Colonsay and Meacham. Nipawin is on the list because the Saskatchewan Health Authority is using the number of people assigned to Nipawin for health insurance benefits (5,654), not the 2016 census count within town boundaries.
The new rules take effect Monday, Nov. 16 and will be reviewed 28 days later, on Friday, Dec. 14.
“We all need to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, like we did back in the spring,” said Paul Merriman, the provincial health minister. “We need to make sure we get back to basics. Back to the good practices that allowed us to be successful controlling the spread of COVID-19 throughout most of the spring and summer.”
Merriman said the people of the province need to be more careful about physical distancing washing our hands more often, limiting our number of close contacts, limiting travel, avoiding large groups, wearing a mask in indoor public places.
“No one wants to get back to another lockdown. No one wants to close businesses and put people out of work. But we need to slow down the spread of this virus, a slowdown is how we will avoid another lockdown,” Merriman said.
“I'm not going to sugarcoat the situation. It's not great and it's getting worse. This threat is very real, but I believe we can get it under control if we do the right things. Saskatchewan, you've done this before and I know that you can do it again.”
Other new restrictions include:
- All Saskatchewan restaurants and licensed establishments (bars, taverns, nightclubs) will be required to stop serving alcohol by 10 p.m. and consumption must end by 11 p.m.
- It is recommended to all school divisions that they should move to level three in their back-to-school plans – reduce in-class learning – for high schools with 600 students or more.
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All aerobic group fitness activities (ie spin classes, class circuit training, aquasize) are limited to a maximum of eight participants.
- Group aerobic activities are permitted only if participants can be three metres apart throughout the duration of the activity, as required by the current Re-Open Saskatchewan guideline.
- Individual aerobic activities (ie treadmill, stationary bike, lane swimming) are permitted if all required equipment is properly distanced according to the Re-Open Saskatchewan guidelines.
- All hookah and waterpipe services are now disallowed.
