Saskatoon should axe its local COVID-19 mitigation strategy, report says
City of Saskatoon administration is recommending that the city suspend its framework for reducing the local spread of COVID-19.
"The intent of the framework was to assist City Council and Administration in making data-driven decisions on potential measures to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in Saskatoon, at a time when the province was messaging that municipalities should consider implementing measures over and above provincial measures," says a report to the Governance and Priorities Committee.
"Many circumstances have fundamentally changed since the development and adoption of the framework."
The city had entered critical "red-level" COVID-19 risk status earlier in the month. New measures City Council could consider under that status include:
- declaring a state of emergency
- closing recreation facilities and suspending all programs and services
- not approving outdoor special events and public gatherings on civic property
- banning rentals of city-operated indoor facilities for special events and public gatherings
However, council opted to maintain the status quo during a meeting earlier this month.
The framework was developed during the rise of the Delta variant, which happened after the province had ended all public health orders on July 11, the report says. But then, Saskatchewan implemented new ones including proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test in some settings, mandatory isolation rules and mandatory masking.
"Together, these orders provide a layer of protection that was not in place when the framework was developed and adopted," the report says.
More recently, the province dropped its recommendation that asymptomatic residents who receive a positive COVID-19 result on a rapid test receive a subsequent PCR test to confirm it.
"This change impacts the data for the underlying framework, especially the seven-day average of weekly cases, the test positivity rate, and the seven-day reproduction rate. The use of rapid antigen tests in Saskatchewan has also increased significantly, and the data from these tests are not formally collected and reported at this time. This change fundamentally affected the foundational elements of the framework," the report says.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has also been a complication since the framework was developed.
"The Omicron variant has differences from the Delta variant, some of which would be difficult to translate into a data framework with publicly available data. Further, with the Omicron variant, medical health officers are focusing much more on hospital admissions and capacity, which is not in the current framework.
"As each new variant emerges the framework would require fundamental adjustments based on the transmission and health impact of the new variant."
The Governance and Priorities Committee is to consider the recommendation at its Jan. 24 meeting. If approved, it would go before council on Jan. 31.
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.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.