Members of Saskatchewan’s business community were able to have questions answered about the COVID-19 vaccination and negative test requirements during a webinar hosted by the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

The Executive Director of the provincial government’s Business Response Team was asked how businesses should respond when someone argues that having to show proof of vaccination or a negative test is a human rights violation.

Ken Dueck responded that in any situation, if someone isn’t following a policy of the business, that business has a right to turn them away.

“Generally speaking, human rights protected under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission are very specific, and not being vaccinated isn’t one of things that are covered as a protected right.”

He also clarified questions around when a person is considered fully vaccinated.

Dueck says fully vaccinated means fourteen days after your second shot, so if someone has just been vaccinated, they have to wait two weeks or provide a negative test at businesses and events where they are required.

Dueck adds that there have been many questions around why stand-alone liquor and cannabis stores are included in the requirements.

He suggests the answer may not be satisfactory, but the decision was made because the vaccination or test proof are required for places like restaurants, bars and nightclubs, and these stores were considered by the government to be in the same category.