Saskatchewan government, opposition, health professionals issue guidance for holiday gatherings
Global News
The parties differ, unsurprisingly, on how Thanksgiving gatherings should be restricted as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to surge.
As the second pandemic Thanksgiving nears, the government of Saskatchewan is letting residents know what it thinks is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In its weekly COVID-19 update, the province noted that “household gatherings remain the primary source of transmission of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.”
It recommends meeting outdoors “as much as possible”, only gathering if double vaccinated, asking for vaccination status when inviting people to indoor gatherings.
The province added a reminder that people should “follow the masking and/or proof of vaccination or test requirement of that location”, as they are legally obligated to, if gathering in a place affected by the current public health order.
The provincial opposition, meanwhile, thinks precautions should be taken a step further.
“If you’re celebrating this year, try to keep it to a small group — to your immediate family,” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili said in a Tuesday press conference.
In a supplementary press release, the opposition called for “a return to indoor gathering limits for both public and private events until cases and hospitalizations stabilize.”
But in a supplied response, a government spokesperson said “the Government of Saskatchewan will not be making an order to limit gathering sizes.”