Six years later: How COVID-19 changed life in Saskatchewan

Heather Witzel-Garnhum, nurse clinician, injects Dr. Jeffrey Betcher, critical care lead, with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Regina General Hospital in Regina on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Bell

Six years ago today, Saskatchewan reported its first cases of COVID-19, involving two seniors in the province.

On March 18, Premier Scott Moe declared a provincial state of emergency, and by the end of the month, in-person classes were suspended at schools and post-secondary institutions.

The early months of 2020 brought sweeping changes. Public health restrictions reshaped how people worked, attended school and gathered with family and friends. Businesses closed, major events were cancelled and communities across the province adjusted to an uncertain new reality.

What began as reports of a mysterious respiratory illness overseas quickly evolved into a global crisis that strained healthcare systems and forced governments to make unprecedented decisions.

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Hospitals and long-term care homes faced some of the most serious challenges as waves of infection moved through the province. Healthcare workers were pushed to the front lines, balancing patient care with evolving safety measures and limited resources.

Vaccination campaigns later became a key part of the province’s response, helping reduce severe illness and allowing many restrictions to gradually ease.

Today, COVID-19 continues to circulate but is largely managed alongside other respiratory illnesses. Even so, the pandemic’s effects are still felt across Saskatchewan—from pressures on the healthcare system and workforce shortages to lasting economic and social changes.

Six years on, the pandemic remains one of the most disruptive events the province has experienced in recent history.