Sask. premier considers possibility of indefinite closure for businesses that flout health orders

Saskatchewan is not implementing new restrictions to tame the spread of COVID-19, but businesses that don't comply with public health orders could soon be facing closures.

Premier Scott Moe says it is time to take action against those breaking the law.

"We don't need to punish all of those that are following the public health orders, but to those establishments and even all those people who are flagrantly operating outside of what the public health orders are, they do need to be punished," Moe said during the province's COVID-19 update on Tuesday.

His comments came days after a video circulated on social media of young adults dancing, singing and mingling with patrons from other tables at the Tap Brewhouse in Regina. Some weren't wearing masks.

The premier called the video concerning, especially when he has a petition sitting on his desk with 10,000 signatures from adults asking the province to allow their kids to play sports.

"At the very same time we have these parents asking for their children to participate in a sport like hockey, we see a video of a number of adults that are selfishly and drunkenly dancing around a restaurant or bar right here in Regina," Moe said.

He said he's asked public health if there are other options, in addition to fines, that could include "closing these bad actors indefinitely to ensure that we are having compliance in our communities."

That would allow the opportunity for the businesses that are following public health orders to stay open and operate safely, he said.

"Enough is enough," Moe said in regards to people breaking orders. "We have kids in community after community in this province that are making the sacrifice. It's time as adults we start making the same sacrifice."

No more restrictions at this time

Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, said if the public universally follows public health orders, Saskatchewan should see cases start to drop next week.

"We continue to be stuck in this 300 [new cases a day] range," Shahab said during Tuesday's press conference. "We want to be heading below 250, 200, below 150 cases."

The province reported 309 new cases, and six more deaths from COVID-19, on Tuesday.

Moe and Shahab have said repeatedly that if cases continue to trend upwards, new restrictions will be implemented — but that likely won't happen until after Jan. 29, when the province's current health order is set to expire.

Shahab says he has been meeting regularly with the provincial Minister of Health Paul Merriman to determine what measures would be implemented next.

Eye on hospitalizations

While the government didn't provide a threshold of what would trigger more enforcement, both the premier and Shahab said they are watching the rate of hospitalizations.

As of Tuesday, 207 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized in Saskatchewan, 31 of whom are in intensive care.

"That has been the limiting factor that your hospitals just can't keep up, and you have to make a decision of who gets treatment and who doesn't. That's a point of no return when you have to bring down the hammer to save the health system," Shahab said.

"We may not be there yet, but that hammer is a very blunt instrument. It causes many unintended consequences. It's not the preferred instrument but when the health-care system is on the brink of collapse, then unfortunately those desperate measures have to be taken as well."