Health official calls for 'circuit breaker' in Sask. north due to lagging COVID-19 vaccination rates

Sasaktoon -

Health officials in Saskatchewan's north are calling for  "circuit breaker" health measures due to lagging vaccination rates in some communities.

The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA), which serves 33 First Nation communities throughout northern Saskatchewan, is asking residents to participate in a challenge to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“It's essentially a time limited intervention just to give some time to slow the virus while the public health team is also continuing to do their best to increase the COVID-19 vaccine coverage across the communities,” said medical health officer Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka.

While active cases and new daily case rates are declining in Saskatchewan’s north, Ndubuka said hospitalizations and ICU admissions remain high, and some vaccination rates lag behind the rest of the province.

Ndubuka said the health authority is strongly encouraging residents in the north to apply some changes to behaviour.

“To decrease the level of socialization by at least 50 per cent, and do not travel out of community for non essential reasons,” he said.

“Also to avoid any massive gathering, especially where there is no proof of vaccination requirements or negative tests that will potentially provide opportunity for mixing between those that are vaccinated and those that are on vaccinated,” said Ndubuka.

The health authority is encouraging people to work from home if they’re able to, stay home if they’re sick, and get vaccinated.

“As of Monday this week, November 8, across our northern communities on reserves we have a total of 71 per cent who have received their first dose those, aged 12 and over, and roughly about 50% have received the second dose,” he said.

“There are still some communities that are lagging behind, still less than 50 per cent for first and second dose.”

The health authority said it is preparing to provide vaccinations for children aged five to 11 who live on reserves, once the jabs are approved by Health Canada.

“We're also working with our communities to ensure that those clinics are set up in a way that would encourage parents to bring forth their kids to get the vaccination.”

Ndubuka says the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some of the inequities that people living in northern Saskatchewan have always faced.

“In terms of the social determinants of health, particularly around housing or housing conditions, particularly overcrowding has been one of the greatest risk factors for COVID-19 transmission,” he said.

Crowded living conditions can also make it more difficult for people who test positive to isolate from others, according to Ndubuka.

“Also access to quality healthcare services is also some of the concerns that we continue to have in the north and this challenges are not new,” Ndubuka said.

“They've been there prior to the pandemic, but obviously the pandemic has really exposed some of those vulnerabilities to a greater extent.”