Saskatchewan premier's claim restrictions don't curb Omicron lacks evidence, epidemiologist says

This week, Premier Scott Moe said he did not think restrictions limiting people gathering and mixing had an impact on the spread of the Omicron in other parts of Canada.

Moe's comments flew in the face of a warning by chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab who said last week "this is not the time for any gatherings at all."

And on Friday, two doctors — a Saskatchewan epidemiologist and an infectious disease physician — added their voices to the critics.

When asked about implementing gathering measures that modelling showed could slow transmission, Moe said on Wednesday "it's now clear, at least in this Omicron wave of the pandemic, that lock-down policies can cause harm in our communities often with little or virtually no benefit."

He said past measures have been "necessary" and "effective," but said he could not see the merit this time. 

Moe pointed to economic, psychological harm, calling them "an infringement on the rights and freedoms that we have come to enjoy and and value as Canadians."

All other provinces have imposed gathering restrictions or capacity limits or a combination in the face of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Saskatchewan is the sole exception.

"This is not meant or directed as a criticism of any government. They're all trying to make the best decisions that they can on behalf of their citizens, and some of them, quite frankly, are dealing with an underlying Delta population that we just simply didn't have here in Saskatchewan as we went into our Omicron wave,"  Moe said.

"But it does help us inform the decision making that we are making here today and that we are making here in this province."

Moe said while hospitalizations have risen dramatically across Canada, they have not risen at near the same level in this province.

"That's why they should only be used if absolutely necessary, and only if they can clearly be shown that they are being effective and they are working. And we are not seeing that as being the case today."

Moe pointed to eastern Canada, where the current wave has hit particularly hard.

On Friday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said early indications show the rate of Omicron infections in Ontario and Quebec may be stabilizing.

"It is quite possible that in the next few days we'll see a peak in the cases," Tam said.