Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leader Ryan Meili is hopeful but also concerned on the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the planned re-opening of the province. The provincial government has already implemented, which began in May, a three-step plan in slowly lifting current public health restrictions.
Premier Scott Moe will go ahead with the July 11 plan of removing the indoor mask mandate and the large gathering restrictions even as local health officials try to hit the 70 percent vaccination target for those who are 12 years old and above.
As of last week, the province had already administered second doses of the vaccine to over 770,000 people while another 17,000 received their first dose. These numbers alone gave Moe the confidence that the province is going to reach the 70 per cent target before the July 11 date of lifting all remaining public health restrictions.
That is why Meili expressed some concern on the July 11 target date.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 reached our goal and that goal was a bit arbitrary to begin with. At the same time, I鈥檓 seeing our numbers drop and so I鈥檓 cautiously optimistic. I鈥檓 hopeful that our numbers would continue to drop and we will be able to go back to something that looks like normal life. I鈥檇 love to see what your whole face looks like, instead of just the top.鈥�
鈥淲e need to get back there [normal life] and we will. We just need to make sure we do it in the right time. So, I鈥檒l be closely watching what the numbers are doing, hoping that on July 11 we can do that and not step back. We鈥檙e also hoping that we鈥檝e got the public health leadership saying the Delta variant starts to rise and other changes that they are willing to say, 鈥榦kay, let鈥檚 slow down.鈥� If that鈥檚 sort of the smart and safe thing to do.鈥�
Meili added that public health officials and those working in the frontlines are doing the best they can but criticized Moe for meddling in their affairs. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e [health officials] had their work interfered by [Moe] on so many occasions. The change in direction day to day, [Moe] had his fingers in this at every point and at points that were truly deadly.
鈥淲hen it comes to the rising cases in the second and third wave, he chose not to act when he needed to and more people lost their lives, have been sick, and lost their employment because [Moe] did such a bad job.鈥�
