The opposition NDP continues pressing on the provincial government to come clean on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NDP Leader Ryan Meili says the Premier is painting a better picture than the actual situation.

“The Premier keeps trying to tell us that things are fine, that he’s got this, but doctors are saying the opposite; hundreds of doctors, Saskatchewan’s top doctors,” Meili said. “Does he not care? Or does he simply not know? And if he doesn’t know, why does he refuse the invitations to find out.”

Meili accused Premier Scott Moe of ignoring the high ICU admissions in relation to the pandemic after turning down an invite to tour the Regina ICU for three straight days.

Meanwhile, Premier Moe says vaccines are the way out of of the pandemic, and currently front line workers are still heading to work without vaccines.

“We’re going to get them vaccinated shortly,” Moe said. “I think I’d say too all of our public workers in this province, all of our front line workers — whether you’re a teacher, a trucker or a correctional guard — we appreciate what you have done to this point, and we most certainly are working to get you vaccinated as quickly as possible.”

Moe says while the province needs more vaccines to arrive, adherence of the public health orders also needs to continue.

NDP calling for more supports for small businesses

The NDP Jobs critic is calling for more supports for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aleana Young says the current supports for small businesses runs out on April 30, saying more support is needed due to continued government inaction.

Jobs Minister Jeremy Harrison says the provincial government has introduced some of the most significant and important supports for small businesses in the country.

“Six rounds of the small business emergency payment, we have cut the small business tax rate to zero percent, we have introduced the Saskatchewan tourism sector support program,” Harrison said. “We have come forward with the most significant suite of business support programs in the entire province. (The NDP’s) only small business plan is to shut them down.”

Harrison says they are in communication with the business community, and they are working to establish something in the coming days.