Murray Mandryk: Sky-rocketing COVID-19 deaths were avoidable

By Murray Mandryk
Political Columnist

Saskatchewan saw 58 October COVID-19 deaths before the halfway point of the month.

As noted by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix’s Phil Tank, at this rate October will surpass the 153 reported deaths in January that has been the province’s deadliest month.

The figure is even more alarming when compared with other Canadian jurisdictions:

Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 death rate in the past week is three per 100,000 — far surpassing other Canadian jurisdiction now facing a serious fourth wave outbreak. The rate in Alberta, New Brunswick and the Yukon Territory in this time frame was two deaths per 100,000 people while the national rate was one death per 100,000.

This is a death rate that is 21 times that of Nova Scotia.

So bad are the recent numbers that Saskatchewan is now creeping up on other jurisdictions that were hammered by COVID-19 in the early going.

After avoiding the high death counts suffered in Quebec and Manitoba where the first and second waves ravaged nursing homes, Saskatchewan is now fifth among provinces in the per capita death rate at 63 per 100,000 people behind Alberta (64 per 100,000) and Ontario 66 per 100,000. The national rate is 74 per 100,000 driven by those high early numbers in Quebec (133/100,000) and Manitoba (88/100,000).

Yes, we all can hope that things will soon turn around. The problem, however, is the numbers suggest that this won’t happen for a while.

Recent record Saskatchewan hospitalizations and ICU admissions (the full complement of 79 ICU beds in the province were filled with COVID-19 patients as of the writing of this column) will, sadly, produce result in more deaths.

Moreover, those people now hospitalized or now recovering fromCOVID-19 may suffer long-term effects of the novel coronavirus even after they do recover.

And those who are also suffering in this province will also include those now missing surgeries, organ transplants and treatments and therapies because an overwhelmed hospital system simply can’t deal with them and the number of pandemic patients coming in for longer hospital stays.

Unlike in the first, second and third waves, the fourth wave has turned COVID-19 into something other than a disease that quickly killed the aged and those with health issues. While those 80 years and older still account for 45 per cent of all Saskatchewan COVID-19 death, that is now significantly less than the nation average (around 66 per cent).

In short, the fourth wave has hit harder and hit younger people harder. And, tragically, this was likely avoidable.

While July only saw 10 deaths, the rate tripled to 29 in August and triple again to 97 in September.

This was during the summer when warmer weather — including an unseasonable warm September and October — slowed down transmission.

But it was policy decisions that really account for these numbers.

As we marked Thanksgiving Day Monday last week with record hospitalizations and filled ICU beds, the day also marked three months since the July 11th “re-opening of Saskatchewan” in which the province ended all masking, social distancing and public gathering restrictions.

The planned announced in May seemed wildly popular — especially given that it meant the summer would see full attendance at Roughrider games and some sense of normalcy.

By early July, Moe was off to attend the Calgary Stampede with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney who congratulated his Saskatchewan counterpart on his early re-opening.

Well, in the three months since then, Saskatchewan has experienced 32 per cent of all its COVID-19 cases and 31 per cent of all its deaths.

Meanwhile, the October Angus Reid poll shows Kenney’s popularity has plummeted to a mere 22 per cent in Alberta and Moe’s popularity is now at an all-time low for a Saskatchewan Party premier at 43 per cent.

It appears choices made by Moe’s government are catching up with him.