No outbreaks linked to easing of restrictions yet, Shahab says

Outdoor pools, spray pads and daycamps were allowed to open Monday as the province hit a new phase in its plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions.

According to Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, it was a good time to begin the first part of Phase 4 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.

“We thought we really wanted to go early with that because obviously the weather is beautiful and children are itching to go to spray pads (and) pools (and) start some healthy outdoor activities,” Dr. Saqib Shahab said during an appearance on Gormley.

Non-essential retail facilities like malls and clothing stores have been open since May 19, along with personal care services. Under Phase 3 of the plan, restaurants and gyms were reopened on a limited basis on June 8.

It seems to be so far so good, with Shahab saying there has not been an outbreak linked to the easing of restrictions. He credited that to people’s adherence to public health guidelines.

“This is a testament to the effort that businesses have put in to make sure that they open safely (and) the effort all Saskatchewan residents have put in when they go to a business,” he said.

He was asked about when residents will be allowed to hold garage sales again. That is something under consideration, Shahab said.

“I think we’ll be looking at that in terms of should they just happen automatically or should they happen with some additional cautions or maybe slow them down for a bit. I think the main thing is, when you open everything up, it’s hard to see a signal of concern from a particular sector,” he said.

Phase 4.1 of the plan also means up to 30 people can gather indoors for public or private events. But that’s as long as there’s room to maintain physical distance.

“You could have eight or nine people in the living room. Now, when I measure it out, I can’t have four people in my living room if I want to maintain two-metre separation,” Shahab said.

“Everyone should have space to feel safe while still participating in all of our social activities.”

Long-term restrictions, including those that make mass gatherings like concerts or professional sports impossible, won’t be lifted until Phase 5. There has yet to be a date set for those restrictions to be lifted.

However, Shahab said that is going to be discussed, as Part 2 of Phase 4 will see theatres, casinos and museums reopen.

“We already know that we can safely have larger events — grad or going to church for example — up to 150 (people). We will watch that closely and see how we can learn from that to allow bigger events,” he said.