Sask. NDP not happy with new COVID restrictions

The provincial opposition is not happy with the new COVID restrictions.

NDP leader Ryan Meili criticized the Sask. Party government in a news conference Friday.

“To describe the response to the announcement … as a disappointment would be a huge understatement. This was a deeply dishonest announcement. There was no action that would make a difference. There is no real change in the current plans and no lives will be saved,” he said.

Meili believes that none of the measures go far enough.

“Minor changes in masks, minor changes in what time people can stop drinking and telling schools to change what level they’re at, still with no supports, still no guidance and still no resources to reduce class sizes … It’s a complete and utter failure,” he continued.

As for what he would like to see done, Meili favours stronger restrictions, including a province-wide mandatory mask rule, ramping up testing and giving more funding to schools to lower class sizes.

He also accused the government of not being transparent with COVID modelling data.

“They’re not telling us what the rate of transmission is, which is so important to understand how this is spreading … Let’s see the numbers. Show us the evidence. What are you hiding from the public when you refuse to share what you know in the modelling?” he questioned.

“This was not a serious and not an honest announcement.”