Saskatchewan Ending COVID-19 Restrictions, Vaccine Passports ‘Very Soon’: Premier

Premier Scott Moe speaks at the Legislative Building in Regina on Dec. 14, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Michael Bell)

Saskatchewan will be ending all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine passports and proof of negative test requirements “very soon,” the premier says.

Speaking at a press conference on Jan. 31, Premier Scott Moe announced that his province is working to scrap all COVID-19 public health restrictions in the weeks ahead.

“Our caucus MLAs are hearing this from the people that they are talking to across the province, and the people that they ultimately represent: People are asking their government for a return to normal—a removal of public health restrictions—and we most certainly are looking at how we can do that in the weeks ahead here in Saskatchewan,” said Moe.

Moe’s announcement comes on the same day the Angus Reid Institute released a poll showing the majority of Canadians say it’s time to end pandemic restrictions. The poll found that 54 percent of Canadians are in favour of ending all pandemic restrictions—an increase of 15 percentage points from a similar poll conducted earlier this month that showed 40 percent in favour.

The majority support for ending restrictions was shared across almost every region in the country except for Atlantic Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest support at 62 percent, with residents saying it’s time now to open things up and let people self-isolate if they’re at risk.

While acknowledging the poll results in a post on Twitter on Jan. 31, Moe took a swipe at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent comments that a large convoy of truckers currently protesting vaccine mandates in Ottawa were part of a ‘fringe minority.’

“There are strong opinions on both sides of this issue, but neither side is a “small, fringe minority” with “unacceptable views,” Moe said on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/PremierScottMoe/status/1488214182352670721

Trudeau had dismissed truckers taking part in current protests in Ottawa and others who have stepped forward to protest against various COVID-19 restrictions and mandates as a “fringe minority” holding “unacceptable views” in a press conference on Jan. 26.

Moe said it is time to listen to the public after people have dutifully followed COVID-19 restrictions for more than two years.

“Now I think that in fairness, it is time for us as a government to do what Saskatchewan people are asking for,” he said at the press conference, adding that public health officials will be advising the government on how to proceed with a “living with COVID” strategy.

The premier said that as COVID-19 vaccines no longer reduce the transmission of the Omicron variant, the vaccine requirement program in his province will no longer be needed in the very near future.

He noted 78 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the province over the past week occurred among fully vaccinated individuals.

“The bottom line of all of this is that vaccines do work, but they are no longer working at preventing transmission in this wave of COVID-19 like they previously did in the Delta wave at which they were quite effective,” he said.

“That is why the proof of vaccination or the proof of negative test requirement that we have in Saskatchewan will very soon come to an end.”