Sask. top doctor not ruling out further restrictions, despite plateauing COVID-19 cases

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Regina — Despite plateauing COVID-19 case numbers, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer said the province is far from clearing the fourth wave.

As of Friday, Saskatchewan’s seven-day average for daily new cases is 380, the lowest it has been in more than one month.

“Even if we are plateauing, we are plateauing at a very high level and that is still generating fairly high rates of hospitalization and ICU admissions,” Dr. Shahab said, adding he is cautiously monitoring the numbers.

“The whole province right now is seeing high transmission rates.”

During a teleconference Friday morning, Dr. Shahab said test positivity is at 12 per cent, although it is slightly lower in Regina and the south central region.

On Friday, 339 people were in hospital due to COVID-19, seventy-eight of those people are receiving intensive care.

According to Dr. Shahab, case numbers could spike following Thanksgiving weekend, as well as when we enter the winter months.

If that happens, he said he will be recommending further measures based on case numbers.

“There are still some tremendous pressures on the acute care system and those are not going to come down quickly,” he said.

Shahab added that people need to continue to follow public health orders as well as voluntary practices.

“We need to all get our flu shots as well because we don’t want that putting a pressure on the healthcare system either.”

He recommends being cautious when it comes to public gatherings, keep a safe distance, and if you’re not feeling well, get tested and stay home.​