Dr. Jeffrey Betcher, a critical care physician in Regina, has become the first person in Saskatchewan to be immunized for COVID-19.

Just hours after the first shipment of doses from Pfizer Canada arrived in the province, Bettcher and emergency room nurse Leah Sawatzky rolled up their sleeves and got inoculated.

1,950 healthcare workers in ICU’s, Emergency Room departments and COVID units at both the General and Pasqua hospitals in Regina, along with staff at testing and assessment centres will be vaccinated over the next number of days, with pilot recipients getting their second dose 21 days after the first one.

“If you are unsure about having the vaccine, I think its really important that you reconsider that and consider having  it done. “Betcher said moments after receiving the shot. “It provides another layer of protection that I have and the staff around me have as well and those that I am looking after have as I provide care for them.”

While vaccines are now in Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s lead medical officer for immunization, Dr, Tania Diener, says now is not the time to start relaxing and that people must continue to maintain the public health orders that have been established.

“We still need to remain vigilant, because we want to continue to save lives in Saskatchewan by applying all COVID precautions,” Diener said “We need to remember where exactly we are currently in the pandemic, and we need to remember the losses we have had.”

The vaccines were delivered on a day where 194 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths were reported.

It’s the first time in seven days that the new case load was under 200.