Today, Saskatchewan announced the lifting of COVID mandates, starting on Feb 14 with the elimination of the vaccine verification mandate and the elimination of the mask mandate on Feb 28. News release here:

Saskatchewan Ending Proof of Vaccination Requirement

Overall, we respect and support the decision of policymakers and CMHO officials to lift these mandates. It is a positive sign that we have moved into a different phase of the pandemic.

Based on feedback we received, a phased-out approach to the Proof of Vaccination/Negative Test policy would have been preferred to allow affected businesses to unwind their policies and communicate the change to their employees and customers.

As noted, legal protections and access to the Vax Verifier technology will no longer be available to affected businesses after February 14. We urge businesses and employers to start preparing their employees and customers for this change.

Business owners and employers have the freedom to continue to implement masking, distancing and rapid testing in their places of business and will do so based on the risk tolerance of their employees and customers.

Nobody knows or understands the needs of their employees and customers better than a business owner. Their success turns on being responsive to the needs and expectations of people connected to the business. As always, they will assess risk, weigh feedback from their employees and customers, and do what’s required to ensure people are safe, well-served and come back for more.

Many businesses have opened new channels to serve customers over the last 2 years. Whether it’s in-person or online, customers have many options to support their local favourites. We urge everyone to continue to support Saskatoon businesses - in whatever way works for them.