NDP Education Critic Carla Beck was joined by Krysta Shacklock, a Saskatoon mother with an immunocompromised daughter, to call for an adequate plan to get vulnerable kids with compromised immunity back to school safely.
“Parents want to send their children back to school in the fall, but they haven’t seen a plan from the government that will lead them to believe that it’s possible to do so safely, especially in light of the province seeing a spike in cases of COVID-19 and the government falling behind on testing,” Beck said. “The uncertainty only worsens for the many parents in Saskatchewan when they have immunocompromised children – the Sask. Party has simply failed these parents.”
Krysta’s daughter is recovering from cancer, and she has grave concerns with the absence of a clear plan with adequate funding to keep kids who are at increased risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic safe. Shacklock is the founder of Saskatchewan Immune Compromised Families group made up of parents and teachers who have raised their concerns with the return to classroom plan with Minister Wyant and started a petition that has garnered over 1,100 signatures.
“We need explicit support from the Saskatchewan government to get our children and teachers safely back in the classroom and would like to know what the government’s plans and ideas are to ensure safety and inclusion for immunocompromised families in Saskatchewan,” Shacklock wrote.
The government’s guidelines only plan for the best-case scenario, but Beck said the plan should include contingency plans if there are ongoing flare ups in cases. With more than 100 new cases in the last two days, overcapacity issues in Saskatoon ICUs, and serious delays in testing, it’s clear the pandemic is not under control in Saskatchewan. Other provinces, including Nova Scotia have released more robust plans that include additional funding and details on what will happen should blended learning be required, or a return to full learning from home.
“By not having any new funding or an actual plan to deal with the uncertainties that the pandemic will bring, the government will only continue to let parents down and it won’t provide them the comfort they need when the school year comes,” Beck said.
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.