With a daily record of 13,651 COVID-19 vaccines administered on Saturday, Saskatchewan officials announced a target date of May 30 for Step 1 of the re-open plan.
Unveiled on Tuesday, the province’s three-step re-open plan provides a glimpse of what restrictions could be amended in a certain timeframe once vaccination goals are met.
With more than 70 per cent of residents age 40 and older having received their first COVID-19 dose, part of the threshold for Step 1 has been met.
“We may have reached the first re-opening target, but our vaccination targets are not slowing down, in fact, they are speeding up. Today, we are reporting our highest one-day total vaccines delivered to date — more than 13,600,” Premier Scott Moe said in a statement.
“We need to get as many people as possible vaccinated as quickly as possible so we can protect ourselves and those around us and so we can move to steps two and three of re-opening soon.”
The province’s re-open plan largely relies on vaccination levels being met.
Earlier this week, health officials said they will also be keeping an eye on hospitalizations. If required, they said a reopening step may be paused to respond to COVID-19 transmission trends at regional or provincial levels.
Once the province is in Step 1, a number of restrictions will be lifted. This includes restaurants and bars opening with a maximum of six people at a table, and up to 10 people allowed at private indoor or outdoor household gatherings.
The second step of the re-open plan is expected to commence three weeks after 70 per cent of the 30 and older population has received their first dose of the vaccine.
The province is expecting 63,180 Pfizer doses to arrive this week. The doses will be administered in the following locations; Regina (10,530), Saskatoon (8,190), pharmacies (31,590), North Battleford (2,340), Prince Albert (1,170), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) North (2,340), ISC South (2,340), ISC North Battleford (1,170), and Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) Prince Albert (3,510).
Deliveries are expected to be completed by Wednesday.
On Monday, individuals 29 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine according to the province’s age-based system. In the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District, those aged 18 and older are eligible for the vaccine.
Province reports 177 new cases
Saskatchewan officials added 177 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the provincial total up to 43,141 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Regina reported the most new cases with 42, followed very closely by Saskatoon with 40.
No new deaths were reported on Sunday for the second day in-a-row.
Across Saskatchewan, 2,260 cases are considered active.
There are a total of 157 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 41 in ICU.
The province also reported 230 new lineage results of COVID-19 variants on Sunday.
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