Opposition to public health measures in Saskatchewan has been vocal from the beginning but has seemed to escalate in recent weeks. In fact, protestors at one point followed Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer, to his car. 

While Dr. Shahab said he didn't feel all that unsafe, he found himself annoyed that people were ignoring the science. As cases in Saskatchewan continue to climb at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country, protests against public health orders haven't slowed down. 

"It's only a small number of people," Dr. Shahab said. "But I am concerned and feel a bit sad. Why would people not believe the basic evidence? We're not talking about having a debate over whether this policy is better than that policy, we can debate all of those things and should debate them. But the science is very clear."

Protesters following Dr. Shahab to his vehicle was one incident of a growing number in the province. Demonstrators at a rally in Moose Jaw threatened media members who were there to cover it this weekend and advocated for the removal of public health orders, including mandatory masking. 

"If anyone has any concerns, go to credible websites," said Dr. Shahab. "There's so much information out there that speaks to how significant the pandemic is in terms of hospitalizations and deaths. These are real people who unfortunately have been in the hospital suffering long-term consequences."

Late last week, Dr. Shahab mentioned that more restrictions could be on the way to Saskatchewan if case numbers did not improve this week. Saskatchewan still leads the country in active cases per capita and sits near the top in new cases per capita on a daily basis. 

"There's evidence for all of these layers that we talk about," Dr. Shahab said. "Mask use, physical distancing, staying home if you are sick, and how safe and effective vaccines are. I really urge anyone with questions to go to credible sources to improve their understanding. Most of us already understand the basics of that."

Dr. Shahab and Premier Scott Moe addressed the public yesterday afternoon, but announced no further restrictions and warned of a potential vaccine shortage.