Coronavirus: Saskatchewan’s current public health orders extended to April 12

All current public health orders in Saskatchewan are being extended.

The province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said the current measures will remain in place until April 12, at which time they will be reviewed.

“We all need to be very diligent in following these public health orders as they are put forward so that we can continue to drive our case numbers down without increasing our restrictions,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe during a briefing Tuesday.

Moe said the alternative is to extend the restrictions currently in place in Regina.

“This is very important for all of us,” he said.

“I believe that we will be able to get our case numbers under control in the few communities where they’re increasing without further restrictions.”

Moe urged everyone to follow the guidelines that are in place to “hinder the spread of COVID-19.”

“We need to be very diligent at this point in time in following them to a ‘T’ each and every day.”

In the Regina region, private indoor gatherings are limited to immediate household members only.

Exceptions are being made for people who live alone and single parents of minor children. Health officials said they can meet with one, consistent household of fewer than five people. They added that current co-parenting arrangements can continue.

The province imposed new measures on the region on March 24 as Regina became the hotspot in the province for COVID-19 cases.

As of Tuesday, 1,039 of the 1,942 active COVID-19 cases in the province were in the Regina zone. In addition, 1,298 of the 1,575 variants of concern identified in Saskatchewan are in the Regina region.

Regina is also under a travel advisory, with travel into and out of the region not recommended unless absolutely necessary.

Restaurants and bars are closed to in-person dining, but takeout and delivery service are permitted, and most event venues supporting 30 persons or less are not permitted to operate.

Elsewhere in the province, household gatherings are limited to two to three consistent households and cannot exceed 10 people.

Health officials are also recommending people 50 years of age and older limit the contacts only to their household until they are vaccinated.

The province also eased restrictions on places of worship as of March 19, with the exception of the Regina region.

They are allowed up to 30 per cent of capacity or 150 people, whichever is lesser.

All masking protocols remain in place, however, clergy may remove their mask while officiating provided three metres of distancing is maintained.

2:01 Booked COVID-19 testing appointments discontinued for majority of people in Regina