Alberta beats Sask. to 70% jabs target

Walk-in, drive-thru clinics across Sask. this weekend in push to boost numbers

Saskatchewan's race to the vaccine finish line is set to come down to the wire.

The province is just thousands of doses shy of vaccinating 70 per cent of residents 12 and older.

Alberta beat Saskatchewan to that goal on Friday, so the province next door will drop all remaining public health restrictions on Canada Day.

Saskatchewan hopes to do the same on July 11, but needs to meet its goal by Sunday to achieve that timeline.

The government reported it had administered 24,260 vaccines on Wednesday and Thursday.

Such results have recently been reported two days after to ensure data accuracy, but a government release said the timeline has been cut to 24 hours “in order to provide the most up to date information to support a decision on the ability to move to Step 3 of the Re- Open Roadmap.”

The plan ties relaxation of public health measures to how many people have their first shot of vaccine.

The second phase is set to start on Sunday.

That's when grocery stores, clothing retailers and salons can drop their capacity limits, though patrons and employees have to remain six feet apart and continue to wear masks.

The attendance cap on theatres and libraries will increase to 150 from 30, and venues like casinos and bingo halls can reopen at that capacity, too.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is offering a smorgasbord of clinics to entice more people to get their first shot.

Walk-in and drive-thru clinics will be open in Canora, Davidson, Humboldt, Kamsack, Outlook, Preeceville, Swift Current and other cities this weekend.

Saskatoon will host a “street fair” in the heart of its downtown, where people who get their first dose will be offered ice cream or kettle corn. A DJ is also expected on-site.

The Meadow Lake Community Centre will host walk-in clinics from Sunday to Tuesday.

A full list of clinics is available on the SHA'S website.

GUIDANCE AROUND ASTRAZENECA

Saskatchewan will follow a federal advisory body's guidelines and offer a second Astrazeneca vaccine to people who received the same brand for their first shot.

The province, like others, no longer offers Astrazeneca for the first dose because of an association with very rare blood clots.

There are no more planned Astrazeneca clinics, according to a government release, and that vaccine will only be provided through an appointment with the SHA. Astrazeneca recipients can also receive a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

A full quarter of people 12 and older are fully vaccinated, the government said.

98 NEW CASES, ONE DEATH

Another Saskatchewan resident with COVID -19 has died.

The person was in their 70s and lived in the province's north west. The province reports that a total of 562 people with COVID -19 have died since March 2020.

The province also reported 98 new cases, an uptick against the seven-day average of 78.