It has been over a week since Saskatchewan received any COVID-19 vaccines and Premier Scott Moe says vaccinations have ground to a standstill. However, 5,850 Pfizer doses are expected in the next day or two which will be used for second shots for Phase 1 residents in North Battleford, Saskatoon and Prince Albert and first shots in Moosomin.
Then, 6,000 doses of Moderna should arrive later this week, as opposed to the planned for amount of 6,500. Those vaccines will be delivered in the far north and northwest regions, and a few in west central Saskatchewan in Rosetown and Kindersley.
Moe says there are about 190,000 people in Phase 1 and with two doses required, that means 380,000 doses just to cover these more vulnerable people. So far under ten per cent have been vaccinated from this group, but after this week’s shipments, it will be around twelve per cent. There is another Moderna shipment expected at the end of the month, but the province has been told it will be reduced, but it’s not known yet by how much.
The Premier calls COVID-19 the challenge of our generation, and he expects there are a couple of tough months ahead of us as we continue to try to get more people vaccinated. He says we have to continue following all the public health orders. “This is what we have to do and we have to do it just a little bit longer, and we most certainly have to do it together. All of us need to pay attention to the Public Health advice that is before us…..We can do this.”
Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, says Saskatchewan has its first two cases of one of the COVID-19 variants, this one from the U.K. Two people from Regina tested positive. One person travelled back from the U.K. and the other is a close contact. The traveller and close contact self-isolated.
Dr. Shahab explains the way the system works for testing for the variants. He says certain people are automatically tested for variants once they test positive for the virus. They include:
-any case that is travel related
-anyone who is part of an outbreak
-those who are under 50 who are hospitalized
– anyone who contracts the virus even after being fully vaccinated.
A sample is then sent to the national lab in Manitoba for genotyping.
