Saskatchewan premier says province could have acted sooner on renewed COVID-19 rules

Scott Moe had rejected assistance from the federal government, which initially offered to help Saskatchewan with its fourth wave in late September.

On the day Saskatchewan asked the federal government for help to deal with surging COVID-19 hospitalizations, Premier Scott Moe granted the province could have acted sooner on a renewed mask mandate or proof-of-vaccination policy.

Health officials also announced that six intensive care patients were being sent to Ontario to relieve overwhelmed staff. The first patient was to go to Ottawa on Monday and another five were to be sent to Ontario by Wednesday.

The province said each patient transfer would cost at least $20,000 and the government would also pay to have two family members go with each patient.

“This is being done to ensure they continue to receive the very best possible care that is available,” Moe said at a news conference.

When asked about his handling of the pandemic’s fourth wave, Moe said: “Potentially we could have moved a week sooner with a mask mandate, or even sooner with the vaccination policy that we brought into place.”

Masks in indoor public places were brought back Sept. 17 and proof of vaccination became necessary Oct. 1 to get into restaurants, bars, movie theatres, gyms, concert venues and ticketed sporting events.

The office of federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed it had received and was reviewing a formal request for assistance from the Saskatchewan Party government.

There were 124 people in the province’s intensive care units Monday — 157 per cent of normal capacity.