Respected doctor Catherine Smart, says the plan to repeal COVID-19 restrictions comes too soon and isn't sure the benefits, if there are any, out way the risks.

Dr. Smart, the President of the Canadian Medical Association, thinks Premier Scott Moe is rushing Saskatchewan into dropping COVID-19 rules and precautions too soon, and thinks the surge of cases that could potentially arise because of such a move could collapse an already strained medical system.

Dr. Smart said the restrictions and regulations are certainly frustrating for people, she believes that the people protesting and rallying against these mandates are only a small, highly vocal minority.

"I think it's challenging right now," commented Smart. "I think there is a segment of the population that is disgruntled and we've been seeing that over these last few days and weeks in particular. What's happening in Ottawa and there is, I think, I'm going to call it small because I think it is a smaller group of the population than the larger population who is frustrated and disgruntled and very loud, and I think we know politically that's the group that Scott Moe has chosen to align himself with, so I think what we're seeing is decisions that align with his political persuasion, which isn't surprising because he is a politician."

Dr. Smart mentioned that the issue with COVID-19 throughout the pandemic has been the politicization of what is a medical issue, not a political one. Dr. Smart empathized with people who have been told one thing by doctors and scientists, and then another by politicians, and all the other noise generated by people. She made it clear that for the average citizen, this is clearly a mess.

"I think all of us want the pandemic to be over, but I think sometimes what we're seeing now is politicians rushing to put things in place to indicate that it's over," warned Smart. "Though what we're really hearing from scientists is that it's not over yet and we still don't really know what's coming next, so perhaps proceeding with caution is a more prudent approach."

The benefits of lifting restrictions and ending the mandates might not out way the consequences of opening up too early. It's possible that by ending all mask mandates and restrictions on social gatherings, both in businesses and public spaces, we could see a surge in COVID-19 cases that could put the strained hospital and medical systems under a burden they can not accommodate.

If we do see a surge in COVID numbers, it almost guarantees another lock-down and shutdown of local businesses for all non-essential workers. After the last few lock-downs made it clear, we know that smaller economies and businesses cannot handle the kind of strain that entails.

"I think it makes sense to continue the mask mandates because I think it's a good way of keeping our friends and neighbours safe," reasoned Smart. "It's not that hard to wear a mask, so I think that's a small ask of the population and I think things like vaccine passports are also important to make sure public spaces are as safe as possible and to continue to encourage people to be vaccinated, which is their single best protection against illness and the best way to protect our healthcare system."

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