Colour-coded COVID-19 risk framework approved in Saskatoon

Saskatoon city council has approved a colour-coded framework for municipal COVID-19 safety response

The framework uses the best available data (indicators) to inform how and when to increase or relax various COVID-19 safety measures within the City of Saskatoon’s legislative jurisdiction, according to a press release on Monday.

Pamela Goulden-McLeod, director of Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization (EMO), said the city is currently in a high-risk ‘orange’ situation.

“We’re implementing this decision-making framework to better guide civic operations and interventions based on the current COVID-19 risk in Saskatoon,” Goulden-McLeod said in a statement.

“This is not to be considered another level or layer of health order — it’s a guide to help the city make decisions about how to best keep its staff safe and services going and to ensure transparency and predictability for staff and residents.

“When fully implemented, this framework can help to limit the transmission of COVID-19 in our facilities and can help to lower the number of cases in our community and potential future hospitalizations. The goal of this framework is to prevent disruption to critical services and help our whole community move to the green, minimal-risk level.”

Municipal officials said COVID-19 transmission continues to affect the delivery of city programs and services and requires ongoing health and safety measures to limit virus transmission in the workplace and community.

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“Local (medical health officers) MHO have assessed there is a high likelihood that the transmission of COVID-19 is uncontrolled in Saskatoon,” read the press release.

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The city said this framework is designed to help city employees and people who use municipal programs and services understand the current level of risk in the community and the measures that are in place to minimize the risk.

According to Goulden-McLeod, the city moves through the framework, measures can be added or subtracted.

The city added this framework operates in the absence of applicable formal public health orders, or in addition to the public health orders.

The framework is colour-coded and based on the following four-level risk assessment:

• green — minimal risk
• yellow — caution
• orange — high risk
• red — critical risk