Saskatoon enters COVID-19 red zone risk status
The City of Saskatoon is now in critical red-level COVID-19 risk status, according to a city news release.
“We are anticipating and planning for the likelihood that City staff will need to be away from the workplace due to COVID-related illness and self-isolation resulting from the Omicron variant in our community,” Director of Emergency Management Organization Pamela Goulden-McLeod said in the release.
“However, we want to stress to residents that core services are being maintained.”
The city tracks four primary indicators, three of which are now classified as critical:
- 7 Day Average Weekly Cases Per 100,000 persons: 30.5 (critical)
- 7 Day Average Test Positivity Rate: 17.6% (critical)
- Effective Reproduction Rate: 1.46 (critical)
- Vaccination Rates of Total Population: 70.3% (high risk)
The city's risk framework presents options for City Council to consider at its meeting near the end of each month. For January, the Council-approved status is yellow (caution).
Red-level options include declaring a state of emergency; closing recreation facilities and suspending all programs and services; no approvals of outdoor special events and public gatherings on civic property; and no rentals of city-operated indoor facilities for special events and public gatherings.
Council's next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 31, though it could call a special meeting earlier.
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