Saskatchewan has already reached the vaccination threshold to begin the first phase of its new three-step re-opening plan, which officials said is set to begin at the end of the month.
The provincial government announced that Phase One of the Re-Opening Roadmap will begin on May 30, as more than 70 per cent of Saskatchewan residents over the age of 40 have received their first dose of the vaccine as of May 10.
This vaccination threshold fulfills one portion of the requirements to begin reopening the province, as provided last week by the provincial government.
Public health also has plans to extend the eligibility criteria to include residents aged 12 and over by May 20, fulfilling the second requirement to begin Phase One that indicated vaccine must be accessible by all residents aged 18 and over.
"We are able to move forward with Step One of the Re-Opening Roadmap because so many Saskatchewan people are doing their part and getting vaccinated, and because we are all following the public health orders and guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19," said Premier Scott Moe, in a press release.
Once Phase One begins, several changes will be made to the current public health restrictions, including expanding the limits on both public and private gathering sizes, increasing limitations on restaurants, and resuming group fitness classes.
More than 50 per cent of all adults in the province have now received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to officials.
"We may have reached the first re-opening target, but our vaccination targets are not slowing down," said Moe.
First doses for adults are expected to be completed entirely by the end of May, according to an earlier statement from Health Minister Paul Merriman.
The announcement means that Step Two of the plan will be allowed to begin no earlier than the third week in June and the final step in mid-July, provided the vaccination schedule continues in schedule.
