Marlo Pritchard, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency President.
(Files from Blaine Weyland)
Premier Scott Moe and President of the Saskatchewan Public safety Agency Marlo Pritchard have announced the Provincial Command is being activated through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) to lead the emergency management response to COVID-19 from here on out.
“This is being done to better coordinate the pandemic response between government ministries and staff, ensure the right resources are in the right place at the right time and provide administrative support so health care workers can focus their efforts on providing the best possible care to patients,” Premier Scott Moe said in a release. “Responsibility for public health recommendations and orders will continue to be managed by the Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Shahab,” Moe also said.
The Premier added this move is being done to provide relief to health care workers. “To allow the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the 40,000 plus employees that we have within the Saskatchewan Health Authority that have been working so hard for over a year now, to really now to focus primarily delivering that healthcare as opposed to for example organizing large scale vaccination clinics, pop up clinics.”
Effective immediately, the PEOC will be responsible for the operational, planning, logistical and administrative aspects of the emergency response to COVID-19, including:
• ongoing inventory management of staffing across the healthcare system
• coordination and deployment of provincial supports and activities across multiple sectors
The PEOC will also lead the dissemination of critical updates for the public and establish normalized briefings through media availability.
Premier Moe also reiterated that vaccines are the best way out of the pandemic, and says he’s heard ridiculous conspiracy theories. Moe says he’s heard the emergency order is a plot for government to seize cows. Adding “nothing could be further from the truth.”
The Premier also said because more than 70 percent of eligible Saskatchewan residents are fully vaccinated, they will not put broad based health restrictions in effect that would include those people. “We have significant measures that are in play, we’re wearing a mask for instance when we are not speaking in this room. The proof of vaccination policy that has just become active on October 1st, is pushing our vaccination rate up, we’re probably four, five, maybe six times the vaccination rate that we were four weeks ago before the announcement of this ”
When it comes to seeking support from the federal government, the Premier says the province has to be realistic of the support that would result from Ottawa. “I believe Alberta now has federal frontline staff, critical care staff on the grounds has totaled about the equivalent about adding about eight ICU beds in Alberta. If you take that on per capita in Saskatchewan that would be two, the addition of two ICU beds into about the 130 that we’re expanded to here today.”
While the Premier hasn’t called on support from the federal government at this time, he adds that no decisions are ruled off the table and will consider on asking for federal support if he feels if it needed.
