Knowing that COVID-19 will continue to circulate, particularly amongst the unvaccinated, the Government of Saskatchewan is updating the long-term precautions that will be in place. The goal according to the government, is to limit the spread of COVID-19 without imposing widespread public health orders and restrictions.
Saskatchewan is developing a rapid test self-administration pilot to gauge the demand and uptake for self-administered rapid tests for families who may wish to screen for COVID-19 on an ongoing basis. The pilot program would see rapid tests provided to families through their schools, along with instructional information on how to properly self-administer the rapid tests. Information regarding the rapid test self-administration pilot for families will soon be provided to school divisions for distribution to families. It is anticipated that rapid tests for the pilot program will be allocated to areas of the province where COVID transmission is highest.
The Government is also providing Saskatchewan school divisions with guidance on masking and case identification.
All residents 12+ are encouraged to be fully vaccinated. It is recommended that children under the age of 12, unvaccinated teachers, and unvaccinated support staff wear masks in common spaces such as hallways, washrooms, lunch rooms, libraries and school buses.
Once students are seated in their classrooms, the government says it is appropriate to remove masks. For outdoor activities such as recess or outdoor gym classes, there is no recommendation for students to mask.
When cases are identified in schools, schools and school divisions will continue to be notified by public health officials in order to inform students and parents. Contact tracing will continue to occur, and unvaccinated close contacts may be directed to self-isolate as deemed appropriate by public health.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority will also offer school-based vaccination clinics similar to those offered at the end of the last school year. These clinics will enhance vaccine accessibility for those students or staff who have not been vaccinated, or who have only been vaccinated with a single dose.
As an additional measure to increase the reach of vaccinations, any individuals turning 12 in the current year are immediately eligible for the vaccine.
The previous mass-vaccination efforts now shift to targeted vaccinations.
The Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Health Authority will begin work immediately to establish a standing COVID-19 vaccination plan. The plan is intended to be adaptable to factor in guidance surrounding booster shots, including whether booster vaccines will be delivered annually or as otherwise recommended, much like the annual flu shot campaign.
