Mandryk: Gov’t COVID-19 policies lacking clarity

By Murray Mandryk

That struggle of Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party government with COVID-19 goes well beyond tough outcomes in this fourth wave.

Right now, the problem is also a lack of clarity in the message it’s been sending out.

Sure, outwardly the government tells us COVID-19 is now a disease of the unvaccinated and that everyone should get vaccinated.

But there’s been just enough ambiguity in the government message — messaging that’s often sounded more political than in really needs be under the circumstances of a global pandemic — for some people to believe that it’s not really essential that they be vaccinated.

This inconsistent approach sure doesn’t seem to be doing the Sask. Part government many political favours.

A recent September-October Angus Reid poll showed a massive 29-percentage point drop in public confidence in its handling of COVID-19.

This was likely driven by Saskatchewan’s recent horrific numbers — the worst or near the worst in the nation.

In, October Saskatchewan saw 156 COVID-19-related deaths reported — a sharp rise from 96 in September. It was the worst month, surpassing 151 COVID-19-related deaths in January before vaccines were widely available.

What is clear to most is that the government strategy wasn’t working in October that also saw sick ICU patients shipped to Ontario because ICU beds in Saskatchewan were all filled.

What’s less clear, however, is what the government has in mind to deal with this problem and why it hasn’t been more adamant in its get-people-vaccinated strategy.

In response to questions as how it intends to deal with this fourth wave, the government has said that it is confident that it can through it without further restrictions beyond what’s already been imposed.

To the government’s point, COVID-19 daily case counts are going down. In fact, they are significantly down from their peak at more than 500 per day.

The problem, however, is testing for COVID-19 is also significantly down, meaning cases may be going undetected. And doctors attribute our case numbers and deaths to our lowest-in-the-nation vaccination rate.

Less than 80 per cent the eligible Saskatchewan population has been fully vaccinated. Coincidentally, numbers show about 80 per cent the cases are unvaccinated.

Doctors say far too many people are arrive sick in hospitals not only with unvaccinated but also with no idea or suspicion that they are sick because have COVID-19. While a small percentage are anti-vaxxers or COVID-19-deniers, most are simply uninformed or unaware, doctors tell us.

Medical professionals suspect this might be the outcome of ambiguity in government messaging — perhaps why it’s been so tough to get that last 15- to 20-per-cent of those eligibility vaccinated.

While we are all again wearing masks and while we do need proof of vaccination to walk into restaurant, bars, concerts and sporting events and now even liquor stores (things this government earlier stated it was reluctant to impose), the government is willing to only go so far.

Proof of vaccination is not required at most places we shop. It’s not even required to sit in the Saskatchewan legislature, as we found in the saga of now independent Nadine Wilson removed form her former Sask. Party caucus after misleading in on her vaccination status.

Yet the Sask. Party shot down an NDP Opposition’s motion requiring all members to show vaccination proof, meaning Wilson only requires showing a negative COVID-19 test to take her seat.

Couple this with the government’s reluctance to follow recommendations in a letter signed by all its medical health officers to limit household gatherings (especially, for the unvaccinated) or to require vaccination proof for vaccine-eligible children to attend class.

It has made for a muddled government message as to what it deems acceptable and what it doesn’t.

And it is this lack of clarity that now may be the problem.