Sask. Opposition questions differing approach to northern, southern COVID outbreaks

COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the more southern regions of Saskatchewan have prompted questions about possible lockdowns or travel restrictions.

When outbreaks were reported in the province's northwest earlier in the pandemic, the province introduced travel restrictions that prevented people from leaving the north for anything except for essential travel.

Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said Friday he wanted to know why the province's approach seems to have differedin the two instances.

He said he was aware that some northern communities requested restrictions earlier this year and that some communities throughout the province had created their own restrictions.

But he was critical of the government's work with northern communities during the outbreak in La Loche, saying it created a more severe lockdown than what might have been needed.

"That's been a failure throughout. Municipal leaders, First Nations leaders have made it clear," Meili said on Friday.

"I think the same questions will arise when we talk to the leaders of the Hutterian communities, whether they've had the support to prevent this, and now that it's happening, to protect communities and do the testing and tracing to get it under control."

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the HutterianSafety Council (HSC)announced a partnership in June to help guide Hutteritecommunities through the pandemic, after an outbreak was declared in two communities in the R.M. of Maple Creek.

The joint statement declaring thepartnership said Hutterites are an "integral part of the local food network and economy," and said the announcement of two positive cases led people to believe their local economies would be shut down, leadingsome to resisttesting and other intervention.

"Like the rest of society, Hutteritecommunities feel the impact of disrupted routines and tradition infringing upon requests to adapt to public health orders measures," the statement said.

"The HSCin collaboration with the SHAhas facilitated communications with these and many other Hutterite communities in order to allay their fears and encourage leaders to work together with public health officials."

A blog post made by the HSCon Friday acknowledged thatefforts in communities had landed Hutterite communities in the media spotlight.

"There is good reason for mass gathering and non-essential travel restrictions. It is safe to say that these two thingsare responsible for the resulting wide-spread COVID cases among us," the HSC's post said.

Lockdowns not ruled out

The province didn't rule out the possibility of locking down communities in regions affected by the most recent COVID-19 outbreaks when asked about it Thursday.

Minister of Rural Health Warren Kaeding noted Indigenous leaders in the northern region had called for lockdowns, whereasHutterite leaders had not yet asked for that to happen.

Premier Scott Moe told CBC's Power and Politicson Thursday the government wasn't at that point yet.

"It's not to say that it wouldn't get there, but we are working with the local leadership in these communities," Moe said.