'Nip it in the bud': Sask. expert warns against unravelling of COVID-19 success
As Saskatchewan's new COVID-19 infections increase, Nazeem Muhajarine says it’s time for the government to intervene with public health measures - but not widespread lockdowns.
“Nip it in the bud,” said Muhajarine, a University of Saskatchewan professor of epidemiology and community health.
“We need to take those steps today.”
On Tuesday the number of new cases was 24 – down from 141 on Feb. 28.
According to the Ministry of Health, new cases of COVID-19 and new hospitalization are made up of mostly unvaccinated people.
- In June, the province reported 2,032 cases of the disease.
- Of those, 1,641 people who tested positive were unvaccinated; 355 had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 32 cases were fully vaccinated.
- Of 102 hospitalizations in June, 66 were among unvaccinated people, 31 patients had a first dose and five were fully vaccinated.
- Of the 21 ICU admissions in June, 17 were unvaccinated.
With Saskatchewan’s case numbers over a seven-day average now increasing, Muhajarine said the province needs to consider public health restrictions and encourage more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We need a more cautious approach. We need to keep up messaging that COVID-19 is still with us, it hasn’t gone away, we’re not completely in the clear.
“We don’t want to go back, we don’t want to unravel what we have achieved in terms of vaccinations and suppressing COVID-19.”
Muhajarine said 25 per cent of the population hasn’t received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, something he’s concerned about with the opening of the CFL season on Friday and the province allowing 30,000 spectators to attend the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ home opener at Mosaic Stadium.
“This could easily be a super-spreader event,” he said.
According to an email from the Ministry of Health, as of Aug. 3, 75 per cent of people 12 years and older have received their first dose and 64 per cent of eligible people are fully vaccinated.
“The number of people being vaccinated is steadily increasing and we would encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated,” the statement said.
Muhajarine said another point of concern is around the province’s move to lift the mandatory self-isolation period for those who test positive for COVID-19.
Last week Health Minister Paul Merriman told reporters that while the mandatory order is not in place, people who test positive should do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19 to others.
As of Tuesday, the province said there are 449 active cases in Saskatchewan, 70 in Saskatoon and 44 in Regina.
58 people are in hospital and there have been 578 deaths related to COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Nine suspects arrested in $24M gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport: Peel police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
'Enormous sum of money': Actor Hugh Grant settles privacy lawsuit against tabloid
British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house, he said on Wednesday.
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
U.K. plan to phase out smoking for good passes first hurdle
The British government's plan for a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking cleared its first hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party.
O.J. Simpson was chilling with a beer on a couch before Easter, lawyer says. 2 weeks later he was dead
O.J. Simpson's last robust discussion with his longtime lawyer was just before Easter, at the country club home Simpson leased southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. About a week later, on April 5, a doctor said Simpson was 'transitioning.'
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Australian clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge.
A wobble reveals the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy
Astronomers have spotted the most massive known stellar black hole in the Milky Way galaxy after detecting an unusual wobble in space.