For Immediate Release - February 9, 2022
Saskatchewan – SEIU-West is disappointed that the SaskParty Government has made the decision to lift the Public Health Orders so quickly while also reducing the delivery of COVID case and monitoring information to citizens to only once per week. These tidbits of information will be released on Thursdays so the stats can be forgotten by Monday.
“By refusing to continue to release daily numbers and making good on his promises to lift public health orders, it seems like Premier Moe is crossing his fingers and hoping COVID goes away. The fact is, it hasn’t and it is still very much a risk with over 30 health care facilities on outbreak every week,” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIU-West.
SEIU-West wasn’t surprised by the Premier’s announcement to begin lifting public health orders as early as midnight on February 13. The Saskatchewan Government has decided that its citizens will get information weekly in order to base their daily risk assessment decisions.
Cape asks: “How can you make an informed decision when you’re getting information once a week on a Thursday? If this government thinks people should self-manage their exposure to COVID, perhaps they should give them the information they need on a daily basis to do so.”
The province’s Proof of Vaccination policy will end as of midnight February 13 and the February 28 will be the end of indoor masking and self-isolation mandates. The end of both leaves Saskatchewan residents and businesses on their own to navigate the still very real threat of COVID-19.
Service Employees International Union West (SEIU-West) represents over 13,000 people across Saskatchewan. They include people who work in health care, education, municipalities, community-based organizations, retirement homes and other sectors. They are joined by one colour – purple – and one union – SEIU-West. Visit PurpleWorks.ca to find out more about SEIU-West members.
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For more information, contact:
Leanne Hendriks
Communications Coordinator
306-652-1011 ext 2244
Click here to download a printable PDF copy of SEIU-West's media release: SEIU-West Cautions SaskParty Government as Public Health Orders Lift.