Premier Scott Moe of the Canadian province Saskatchewan conceded Wednesday the time may have come to “look at ending all” coronavirus measures.
In a video statement Moe said while the coronavirus has not ended and still remains a problem, the people of his province need to start considering a life with the virus.
“There has been a lot of discussions lately about whether it’s time for us in Saskatchewan to look at ending all of the remaining Covid measures and restrictions that we have in place,” he began. “I think it is time. That’s what I am hearing. That’s what our MLAs are hearing from most of their constituents.”
Moe asserted that people now better understand the virus and how to treat it than they did two years ago at the outset of the pandemic … when the government said that restrictive measures would last two weeks.
“They understand what they need to do. They understand the risk and they are prepared to live with that risk, more than they are prepared to live with the ongoing government intrusion into their lives,” he said.
“Remember when this first started so very long ago? Government measures were supposed to last, I think, two weeks. Well, it’s been two years,” he added.
Noting the presence of widely available vaccines, anti-viral treatments, and widespread testing options, Moe said that the conversation needs to start about when Canadians can get back to their normal life.
“It’s time for us to have an honest conversation about Covid and our path forward,” he said. “What I’m about to say will sound radical to some and some quite frankly are not going to like it, but eradicating Covid is not realistic and Covid zero is not achievable. But normalizing Covid or living with Covid most certainly is.”
“I’m concerned that Covid being the constant topic of conversation and dictating our daily lives will have a negative long-term impact on each of us in this province,” he continued. “Calls for daily government intrusion into peoples lives, skepticism regarding anything that is remotely positive that is related to Covid.”
The premier’s statement comes as Canadian truckers have formed a “Freedom Convoy” in protest of the country’s vaccine mandates. On Tuesday, the Quebec premier said that he is willing to meet with the protesters and spark a conversation in contrast with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who fled the capital city of Ottawa and has maligned the truckers as a “fringe minority.”
“I am always available to meet with people who are in good faith to try to see how we can help them answer their questions, their concerns,” said Premier Francois Legault.