The Leader of the Official Opposition is frustrated at the lack of action from the Sask Party government, and in particular from the Premier and the Health Minister, to get the fourth wave of the pandemic under control. Ryan Meili says, “These are irresponsible, stupid men who have made choices that have cost too many lives.” He urges the Premier to either order his Health Minister to listen to the experts and implement urgent measures or remove him from his position.

He notes that Saskatchewan Health Authority physicians at a recent virtual town hall meeting have shared recommendations to help get COVID-19 under control, but to no avail. Case counts have quadrupled in the last month with a sharp increase among young adults and a 60 per cent increase in the seven-day hospitalization rate in the last two weeks.

Meili wonders how bad it has to be for the Sask Party government to change its course. He says, “There are small children in the hospital right now with COVID-19 and that’s bad enough.” Friday’s COVID-19 report indicated another two deaths. Meili says that too is bad enough.

The New Democrats are calling for urgent measures to prevent potential lockdowns, which would include vaccine passports, full vaccination of school staff and workers in the healthcare system, re-introducing appropriate indoor mask mandates, requiring vaccinations for large events, and enforcing the public health orders to mandate testing, tracing and self-isolation if a person tests positive for the virus.