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Thursday, June 3, 2021
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Sask. could open up by July 11 if thresholds met
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Increase in vaccines expected Staff
At the latest COVID-19 news conference on June 1, Premier Scott Moe said all restrictions could be lifted as early as July 11 if certain thresholds are reached. He reported the province is close to meeting its Step Three threshold of the Re-opening Roadmap — that being 70 per cent of people 18 and older having received their first dose of vaccine. He said three weeks after 70 per cent of all eligible Saskatchewan residents age 12 and over have received their first dose, and once at least three weeks have passed since the beginning of Step Two on June 20, the last two Public Health orders on event and gathering size limits and masking policies will be removed. This could conceivably happen by July 11 if vaccination targets are met by June 20. “It’s really up to us, the people of Saskatchewan, and how many of us make the choice to protect ourselves, protect those
around us, take the time to go and get vaccinated,” Premier Moe said. The province is confident in removing the remaining restrictions, Moe said, because the vaccines are working. He said they are driving down case numbers and hospitalization numbers across Canada and the world. “Let’s get this done, Saskatchewan,” Moe said. “We have had public health orders in place now for 445 days. They could all be removed in just a little over a month from now, if enough of us choose to go out and get vaccinated.” In his remarks, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said second doses were starting out strong and he referred to June and July as “blockbuster months for vaccine supply.” Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said, effective immediately, they have over 5,000 appointments available for first and second dose immunizations at clinics throughout the province. The federal govern-
ment says Canada is set to receive 2.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses this week thanks in large part to an increase in planned deliveries from Pfizer and BioNTech. The two companies had been delivering about 2 million shots per week through May, but are increasing that to 2.4. The other 500,000 shots due to arrive this week are coming from Moderna. The government is also expecting another 1 million doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine by the end of June. Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine is high in the Battlefords with lineups at the drive-thru location, which shut down early Saturday after using all their available vaccines. A possible reason for the high interest was the province expanded eligibility for second doses to those 70 and over a couple of days early. The drive-thru will be offering the Pfizer vaccine for those 12 and over Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Jack Robson Lanigan and Warren Iverson of Meota have been collecting photographs of Saskatchewan elevators, amassing more than 2,000 between them. A selection of the photos has been compiled into The Book of Saskatchewan Grain Elevators, a coffee table book to be published soon. See inside for the story. Photo submitted by Lorna Pearson
Moosomin First Nation plans horse racetrack to replace Marquis Downs Staff
Marquis Downs is getting out of the horse racing business and Moosomin First Nation is planning to fill the gap using its Treaty Land Entitlement property in the RM of Corman Park. A joint release by Moosomin First Nation Economic Development Corporation and the Fed-
eration of Sovereign Indian Nations said the development of a new venue, Moosomin Downs, will be the answer to a renewed and diversified equine sporting industry. The plan is to host thoroughbred and standardbred racing, chariot and chuckwagon racing, 4-H and rodeo events, equine therapy, industry training
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with youth and equine professionals and the original extreme sport of Indian Relay. Moosomin Chief Brad Swiftwolfe said, “Over the last 25 years, our First Nation had a dream of developing our Treaty Land Entitlement lands in the RM of Corman Park. We will now be breaking ground Continued on Page 7