NDP Leader Ryan Meili issued the following statement in response to the first deaths in the province from COVID-19:
“I first want to say to the friends and family of those who have died that our thoughts are with you in this moment of loss. To the rest of the province, I know that we are all anxious about the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and our families. We will get through this challenging time together, even as we stay apart to slow the spread.
With the provincial case count up over fifty percent over the weekend showing community transmission is becoming more widespread, NDP Leader Ryan Meili is calling on the province to act aggressively to get ahead of the spread of COVID-19 by expanding testing and tracing in the province.
“We can and must act quickly and aggressively to get ahead of the spread of COVID-19,” said Meili. “Now is not the time to let up -- we should be testing everyone who has the symptoms and rapidly scaling up contact tracing to contain the spread of the virus.”
The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to release a plan to assist low-income and vulnerable people, including providing safe housing for people accessing shelters.
“We see so many people in our communities stepping up to care for people in need: delivering groceries to seniors and making meals for kids living in poverty,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “We need the government to join that effort and recognize that the most vulnerable are at the highest risk. We need to protect and support them not just for their health, but for the health of everyone in this public health crisis.”
NDP Leader Ryan Meili called on the province to work with employers to guarantee frontline workers in essential services access to clear physical distancing protocols, adequate protective equipment, along with access to childcare and other supports to enable them to do their jobs safely.
“Grocery clerks, pharmacists, cleaners, healthcare workers and others in essential services are holding our communities together right now,” said Meili. “We need to do everything we can so they can keep doing that work safely.”
With community transmission now confirmed in Saskatchewan, NDP Leader Ryan Meili is calling on the province to put an immediate moratorium on evictions in Saskatchewan to ensure that no one loses their home.
“No one should lose their home because of COVID-19 — full stop,” said Meili. “People are stressed, people are scared and everyone needs to be staying at home as much as they possibly can. If we're asking people to stay home, they need to have a home. I’m calling on the Premier today to make that commitment.”
Responding to new information detailing serious gaps in the Saskatchewan government’s response to COVID-19 to date, NDP Leader Ryan Meili is calling for more transparency and aggressive action to slow the spread of the virus.
“People need clear information to understand the threat of COVID-19 across Saskatchewan and to play their part in responding,” said Meili. “This is a critical moment. Together, we can have an impact on what happens in Saskatchewan, but only if our government is honest about our readiness, gives us as much information as possible and acts quickly to slow the spread of COVID-19.”