The Government of Saskatchewan has provided an update on some of the long-term precautions that will be in place, which affects testing and vaccinations.
Although there are no COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for children under 12, the provincial government will now allow anyone turning 12 in 2021 to be eligible for the vaccine. This means any child born in 2009 is now eligible.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority will offer school-based vaccination clinics, similar to those offered at the end of the last school year.
The government also advises that children under 12, unvaccinated teachers, and unvaccinated support staff should wear masks in common spaces such as hallways, washrooms, lunch rooms, libraries and, school buses. Once students are seated in their classrooms, masks can be removed. There is no recommendation for masking during outdoor activities.
Guidelines will be revisited once vaccines are approved for kids under 12.
When cases are identified in schools, schools and school divisions will continue to be notified by public health officials in order to inform students and parents. Contact tracing will continue to occur.
The province is also developing a rapid test self-administration pilot to gauge the demand and uptake for self-administered rapid tests for families who may wish to screen for COVID-19 on an ongoing basis. The pilot program would see rapid tests provided to families through their schools, along with instructional information on how to properly self-administer the rapid tests. Rapid tests for the pilot program will likely be allocated to areas of the province where COVID transmission is highest.
The government is also anticipating future guidance on "booster shots" that may be made available to maximize the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. If such a plan develops, it will be determined whether the vaccine will be delivered annually or as otherwise recommended.
