After all, the months ahead may not be a “winter of misery,” says Sask. top doc | The Canadian News

As the province continues to battle COVID-19 cases, Saskatchewan residents were told to continue to tread cautiously during Tuesday’s Provincial Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) update.

But the update contained a ray of hope for what residents can expect as the province moves into its fourth wave.

“We have 86 new confirmed cases, which is very good news as our downward trend has gone from triple digits to double digits in recent weeks,” said Marlo Pritchard, president of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

“But I want to remind everyone that we still need to be vigilant as we continue to move forward,” Pritchard added.

The last time Saskatchewan reported fewer than 100 new COVID-19 cases in one day was on August 16, when 87 new cases were announced.

Despite the downward trend, October remained Saskatchewan’s deadliest month for COVID-19. So far, 78 deaths from the past month have been investigated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

When looking at the data from August 24 to October 24, the risks for unvaccinated people are much higher compared to those who are fully vaccinated.

The analysis shown during the update revealed that:

• cases among the unvaccinated are six times more likely to occur
• hospitalization is 12 times more likely
• Admission to the ICU is 28 times more likely
• death is 11 times more likely

During questioning, health officials also said the province plans to restart its organ and tissue donation program “as much as possible” later this month.

The program was halted in mid-September due to the increase in Saskatchewan hospitalizations and acute care for COVID-19.

As of Monday afternoon, approximately 27 opportunities for organ donation consultations have been missed since the program was discontinued, although not all visits result in a donation.

When asked if outside resources would be brought in to help with case backlog, as was the case with the increase in COVID-19 admissions, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says it is looking at the available options.

“I don’t have any details at this time in terms of strategies that will be employed to help those who have been affected by the slowdown. But I assure you that it is definitely of great importance to us as we look at how we resume those services and bring them back to affected patients, ”said Derek Miller, SHA’s Chief of Emergency Operations.

The update also published a timeline of when SHA staff who have been reassigned will return to their home positions.

“This will provide capacity to resume many community services affected by the fourth wave of COVID. With this in mind, goals have been set to resume as many services as possible without affecting capacity and safety in our ICUs and without affecting the capacity of the vaccine program, ”SHA said in a statement.

The schedule for this transition will be as follows:

• by the end of next week, 50% of eligible staff who have been reassigned will return to their original positions
• By November 19, 75 percent of eligible reassigned staff will return to their original positions
• and at the end of November, at least 90% of the eligible staff who have been reassigned will return to their original positions.

Health officials said two other ICU patients with COVID who were flown to Ontario for care have died, bringing the total deaths from COVID transfer to five.

When it comes to the holiday season, Saskatchewan’s director of medical health, Dr. Saqib Shahab, departed from the statement he made in late September, in which he told residents to prepare for “a winter of misery”.

On Tuesday, Shahab said things are looking better due to all the restrictions currently in place and the adoption of vaccines.

“You know I would still recommend at this point, that if our numbers are still this low, that we plan our meetings very carefully, a small, consistent group of friends and family, ideally fully vaccinated,” Shahab explained.

He recommends that those who remain vaccinated should get vaccinated, urging everyone to continue to adhere to the restrictions and even wear their masks indoors while gathering at the homes of family and friends this Christmas season as an extra layer of protection.

While wearing masks outside of a restaurant or bar may seem strange, Shahab says doing so will help protect people over 65 and those with underlying health risks.

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