Sask. doc welcomes new COVID-19 rules but says they come as ICUs already pushed 'to the brink'
A Regina physician who has been outspoken on social media during the pandemic calls Saskatchewan's just-announced public health measures a "substantive move" but says they should have come sooner.
"I can't in any way fault the government for anything that they said today, I mean we've been calling for all this for the last number of weeks," Dr. Alexander Wong said.
Fueled by the Delta variant, COVID-19 cases have been climbing for weeks in Saskatchewan, with over 4,000 active cases reported on Thursday.
"I mean obviously we kind of all wish on the healthcare side that it could have been all done sooner and that we could have been more proactive in terms of addressing these issues rather than waiting for our ICU capacity to be pushed, literally to the brink," Wong told CTV News following the province's announcement.
On Thursday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe laid out his government's plans for the coming weeks including an immediate mask mandate and proof of vaccination requirements for people looking to participate in non-essential activities such as dining out at restaurants or attending events.
The proof of vaccination framework is expected to come into effect Oct. 1.
Wong said it will be weeks before the measures will begin to make a dent in the surge in active cases already battering the province's health-care system.
"I'm not saying in any way shape or form that it was deliberate, that anybody wanted things to go wrong, but in the end, I mean, you know, nowhere else in Canada, are we. Nowhere else in Canada are they dealing with this," Wong said.
The infectious disease specialist points to neighbouring Manitoba's decision to introduce a "vaccine passport" system as an example of successful — and earlier — government intervention.
"Why does, you know, Manitoba consistently have an eight to 10 to 12% higher vaccine uptake than we do. It's because they put a certificate program in place," Wong said.
"You know, so the fact that we basically chose deliberately not to put those policy measures in place until basically, we're at the brink, like Alberta, that's a failure of policy in my mind."
With so much data available from other jurisdictions, Wong believes different decisions could have been made.
"To say that we couldn't see all this coming and to say that we couldn't have predicted what was going to happen — I mean everything that happened was very much in plain sight based on what was going to - what was happening in the United States."
Wong said he would have liked to hear "some acknowledgement" that better decisions could have been made.
"The reversal is a tacit admission of that but at the same time to actually hear an apology and to actually hear again a degree of accountability as opposed to, you know, basically saying that this is all the fault of persons who have chosen not to be vaccinated still kind of rubs me a bit the wrong way,' Wong said.
"But in the end, you know, the measures are what matters."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.