Sask. to release COVID-19 modelling data soon: health minister
Saskatchewan residents will be able to see the province's COVID-19 modelling data "probably within the week," according to Health Minister Paul Merriman.
Merriman made the pledge in a media availability in Saskatoon on Thursday.
In a physician town hall on Sept. 23, Dr. Susan Shaw, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s chief medical officer, said the modelling data is available but is not being widely shared with doctors across the province as per a decision by the Ministry of Health.
At the time, the health ministry did not respond to a request for comment from CTV News.
Merriman said Thursday that modelling is one tool to be able look forward, but it doesn't take all factors into account, such as increased vaccination rates and the fact that 20 per cent of cases are under the age of 20 and there's a low risk of them ending up in hospital.
"So the modeling looks at one scenario of 'this is what could happen if nothing changed from now until a month from now,' so it's not the most accurate,” he said.
"We've seen in the past that the modeling hasn't been extremely accurate in everything that we're doing. They were projecting at the end of August that there was going to be six, seven hundred cases a day, that didn't happen.”
He said he had "no issue" with the modelling being released and provided to media, but in the context that it is a forecast and is not going to be "concrete."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.