Sask. health minister attends first COVID-19 media briefing in nearly a month, defends absence

On Monday, Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman attended his first COVID-19 media briefing in nearly a month.

The briefings, streamed digitally from the legislature in Regina, provide an update on the latest pandemic information in the province and offer an opportunity for members of the media to question leaders.

Merriman last attended a COVID-19 press conference on Dec. 30, 2021.

During the media availability, Merriman was asked about his absence.

“Just because I'm not in front of the camera doesn't mean that I'm not working,” Merriman said.

“I’ve been working diligently.”

Merriman said he has been available for “media callbacks” to answer journalists’ questions.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health was unable to say how many interviews he has done and with which news outlets, but that the office “fields a significant number of media requests” each week.

“I am available all the time to be able to make sure I’m conveying the information,” Merriman said at the conference.

Following Monday's provincial press conference, Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili said Merriman has been doing “an extremely bad job.”

“He is constantly hiding from scrutiny. He fails to do his job over and over again,” the leader of the official opposition said.

Meili said it was “really striking” the province's chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab also wasn’t present for the COVID-19 update.

During the briefing, Premier Scott Moe defended Saskatchewan’s move not to add more public health orders. He said the Omicron variant is going to spread regardless of stricter rules.

“I believe what we saw today was a political message that could not possibly sit beside an honest public health message,” Meili said.

Moe stood up for Merriman during the news conference. He said Merriman has been busy working at the Saskatoon Cabinet Office.

“I would just like to take the opportunity to thank him for the effort that he's made not just through Christmas and January but throughout his time as health minister,” Moe said.