Bernier's Saskatoon election bash will lead to COVID cases: doctor

A Saskatchewan health policy consultant says a People's Party of Canada event in Saskatoon Monday night will likely result in COVID-19 cases.

The PPC held its election night party inside a ballroom at the Saskatoon Inn, where Leader Maxime Bernier addressed the hundreds of people gathered, most of whom were not wearing masks.

In an emailed message on Tuesday, Saskatoon city police said they had received reports from people with concerns about a federal election night gathering at a Saskatoon hotel. Police gather information on events like these and pass it along to public health inspectors, the message stated.

Dr. Dennis Kendel, a consultant on health policy and former registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, said there should have been intervention to stop the breach of the public health order requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces.

“To allow it to go on with over 100 people in a closed space, unmasked, just creates a superspreader event,” Kendel said. “There will almost certainly be cases flowing from this event last night and people will come to harm from it.”

In an email on Monday, police said they were planning to have a presence at the event to address public safety concerns. Tuesday's message said police take a “measured approach to ensure any event remains peaceful.”

Messages sent to the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Ministry of Health on Monday and Tuesday have failed to produce a response. Police pointed out there is a toll-free number that can be used to report suspected violations of the public health order: 1-855559-5502.

“This shouldn't have just been something to look into the day after; it should have been dealt with last night and it's very disappointing that it wasn't,” Kendel said.

This incident sends a message that people can defy the public health order and there's no immediate consequences, he added.

Premier Scott Moe, who imposed the return of mandatory masks on Thursday, called the incident “unfortunate.” He called the PPC a one-issue party, referring to its opposition to pandemic restrictions and vaccine proof mandates.

Moe blamed the PPC for prolonging the pandemic and added that Saskatoon police will address any infractions at the event.

Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, a University of Saskatchewan professor of community health and epidemiology, agreed the gathering could turn into a superspreader event, given the number in attendance and how long they spent there.

“There's no two ways of saying this: in my mind it's a national embarrassment that this happened in our city and in our province,” Muhaharine said. “The question is, why did it happen in our city, in our province? Probably because they thought that they could get away with it.”

On Tuesday, 90 people with COVID-19 were in hospital in Saskatoon, including 24 receiving intensive care. Active cases in the Saskatoon zone stood at 1,129, the highest for any zone so far this year.

Muhajarine also wondered why the event was not shut down and said political leaders need to speak out against such incidents.

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark posted on Twitter Monday night to say he shared concerns about the event, given high case numbers and ICU admissions.

The public health order specifically requires mask use inside hotels and places that host events. Exemptions are included for people who are seated while eating or drinking, and for speakers at events, provided they can maintain three metres of distance.

Bernier removed his mask after entering the ballroom, and most of the crowd, estimated at more than 400 people, remained maskless, despite a warning from a PPC official.

The previous public health order, which expired July 11 and also required masks be worn in indoor public spaces, carried fines of $2,800 for individuals and $14,000 for businesses.