The city of Saskatoon is introducing new color-coded classifications for COVID-19 risk levels
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Saskatoon City Council has approved a new color-coded framework to help contain COVID-19 as the number of cases and hospital admissions in Saskatoon grow.
According to the new system, the risk of COVID-19 in the city is classified according to a four-color scheme: green (minimal risk), yellow (caution), orange (high risk) and red (critical condition). Each color is associated with specific measures to combat the spread.
The framework uses four main indicators: seven-day average weekly cases per 100,000 people, seven-day average test positive rate, effective reproduction rate, and overall population vaccination rates.
Other secondary indicators that are monitored include hospital admissions, cases by age cohort, deaths, and wastewater analyzes.
The test positive rate in the city is currently 11.7 percent. The 7-day average per capita is 33 per 100,000.
The current effective reproduction rate is 1.21. Mike Jordan, chief public policy and government relations officer, told the council that this means “for every 100 people infected, another 120 will be infected.”
The vaccination rate in the city is 60.2 percent.
These indicators put Saskatoon in the orange classification level – which means high risk – and tends towards red.
“Delta variant is quite high in terms of concentration in the wastewater and that really is the drive for the cases,” Jordan said in the council meeting.
Forecasts show a potential doubling of cases by the end of the month
Dr. Simon Kapaj, a Saskatoon medical health officer, said short-term projections show a potential doubling of cases and hospital admissions at the provincial level by the end of September. He said it will take at least two weeks or more to see the effects of the new public health measures, including mandatory indoor public masks and a vaccination record system starting next month if people adhere to it.
The 20 to 29 age group shows an increase in cases. Since the province ended all public pandemic health measures on July 11, the majority of hospital stays are in those 60 and over. Unvaccinated people continue to make up the largest proportion of cases.
“What worries me here is the fact that we are the hotspot of the province,” said Kapaj at the meeting.
“We have to get things under control here to save the community.”
Kapaj said it would be helpful to tie mitigation strategies to each color level in the new strategy.
Saskatoon’s current orange level means physical distancing requirements for the public in city-run facilities, restrictions on participants and the availability of recreational programs and services in city-run facilities, reduction in forward-looking customer service, and more.
Kapaj said this system is more transparent to the public.
“Higher the risk, higher the control”
Pamela Goulden-McLeod, the city’s head of emergency management, said the containment measures are based on the hierarchy of controls and the level of risk.
“The higher the risk, the higher the control,” she said at the meeting.
Goulden-McLeod said Saskatoon’s transit is outside of this framework and is being monitored separately. She said the framework will also not apply to the Albert Community Center, Marr Residence, Mendel Building, Saskatoon Police Service Headquarters, Saskatoon Public Library locations, Sasktel Center, Remai Modern and TCU Place.
She said that some places would come under the jurisdiction of the province for health measures.
With COVID-19 hospital admissions soaring, Saskatchewan’s Prime Minister introduced a number of new public health measures, including mandatory indoor public masks starting Friday and a vaccination record system starting next month. 2:36
She said the new measures are in addition to or without public health orders. If there are any provincial public health orders in a directional direction, they always take precedence.
“The goal of implementing this framework is to provide our Saskatoon employees and residents with a clear understanding of trends and transparency of what to expect based on data-driven indicators and actions,” she said.
The city is currently collecting the vaccination status for its employees. The mandatory COVID-19 rapid test program for employees who report to the workplace, including for occasional visits, is expected to begin on October 4th. All unvaccinated employees who report to the workplace are required to perform a rapid test every seven days.
The council will convene a special meeting if the general risk categories change.
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