Saskatchewan’s Premier expects the province to run out of vaccines in the next few days.
Scott Moe says he heard in a news story that the federal government announced there would be no Pfizer shipments next week instead of hearing it from the feds.
Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone says the available doses will be distributed for both new vaccinations and second doses.
The lengthened acceptable time period between shots at 42 days mitigates some of the challenge around the shortage, Armstrong says, and Pfizer has promised to increase shipments once it’s back online.
In the next four weeks, the province is expected to receive 17.5-thousand doses of the Pfizer vaccine instead of the originally promised 37,000 so the Premier says the delivery plan will be revised.
Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, says there are a few areas in particular which seem to have seen more transmission lately.
They are funerals, outdoor groups of young people, and a few bars and their patrons not following the guidelines.
Dr. Shahab says 30 people can gather while physically distancing for funerals, but the challenge is that people forget in their grief and want to hug their loved ones and close friends.
He notes that outdoor groups of ten are allowed, but some younger people are getting too close together with food and drink.
This past weekend, a video on social media showed a Regina bar, The Tap Brewhouse and Liquor Store, where some patrons were mingling and dancing without masks.
On its Facebook page, the pub’s management says the patrons were asked to leave, which they did, and since then, they have implemented more supervision and education.
Moe encourages Public Health and law enforcement to not hesitate when they find people and businesses not following the Public Health Orders.
He says fines are in place, and the government is looking at added measures in the days ahead, including closure.
(CJWW)
