With the news of Premier Scott Moe testing positive for COVID-19, many residents were concerned about the status of Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab who attended Wednesday’s news conference alongside the Premier.

Shahab noted that he was wearing his N-95 mask for the duration of the press conference and says that he is continuing to test at the appropriate times.

He says that proper masking and frequent testing remain important. ” Do antigen testing properly, not too frequently, but at proper times either once a week or in this case when you have been notified of potential exposure.”

With the amount of cases increasing in the province, Shahab would like to see the definition of fully vaccinated changed. He noted that the third booster shot is vital in order for the symptoms to be less severe for someone who contracted the virus.

Shahab believes that fully vaccinated should include the booster shot. “It really is critical that all community settings are up to date about being fully vaccinated which for me means if you are more than 90 days from your second dose you should receive your booster dose.”

The Omicron variant has proven to be more transmissible than previous variants says Shahab but he also noted that the impact of Omicron has not been felt in hospitalizations in Saskatchewan. “We are so far not showing hospitalized outcomes in the vast majority of people including those in long term care who have received a booster dose, that is the key metric that we monitoring.”

The province is working on developing a rollout plan for a possible fourth booster for individuals, like those in long term care homes,  who are eligible in February for another dose according to Shahab.