With Phase 2 of the Roadmap to Re-Opening plan now underway, the province’s health minister is looking forward to what this summer has to offer Saskatchewan residents as the province shifts past the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Merriman says what like is like post-pandemic in the next year or so is really up to each person.

“There’s still going to be people out there wearing masks, there’s still going to be people getting vaccinated, and there’s still going to be people getting tested; and that’s very good, if you want to wear a mask, you should” Merriman said. “I think what we’re going to start to see is people adapting to what is going to be our new normal, what they want to be able to do. I think that’s going to start July 11, and continue forward.”

Merriman says Saskatchewan was able to ride the ebb and flow of vaccine supply on the way to a safe Saskatchewan summer.

“These concert announcements, this is what the people want, this is what they’ve been waiting for,” Merriman said. “We’ve been telling them if they did their part with the public health restrictions and the guidelines, and getting vaccinated, we would get here, and now we’re here.”

While about 300,000 people remain unvaccinated at this time, Merriman says roughly 3-4,000 people continue getting their first doses every day, and Saskatchewan continues to be among the top provinces in vaccine rollout across Canada.