Sask. government gives advice on gathering for the holidays safely

The Saskatchewan government is giving advice on how to safely get together for the holidays in light of COVID-19.

Premier Scott Moe has said the province is not planning on limiting gathering sizes.

"If everyone continues to be diligent, continues to exercise a degree of caution — and continues to go out and get vaccinated — we should be able to get together safely over the holiday season without increasing the spread of COVID-19," Moe said at a news conference last week.

The province has extended it's mandatory masking and proof of vaccination policy until at least the end of January. On Tuesday, there were 42 new COVID-19 cases and 715 known active cases in the province.

The government is reminding people to consider the vaccination status of their guests and to let them know if their gathering will require a proof of vaccination.

While not limiting gathering sizes for the holiday season, the government said private indoor gatherings should be kept small. Officials also said that people should consider keeping a list of their guests in case there is a COVID-19 case that will need contact investigation.

The province said people should also consider increased ventilation (opening windows, using air purifiers) for all gatherings, and that people should wear a mask and physically distance from people who are either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

The province also said people should consider taking a rapid COVID-19 test before they head out to a gathering.

Officials say kids should also wear a mask when taking a photo with Santa and that school-based holiday concerts should follow all COVID-19 guidelines.