Saskatchewan’s health minister says the latest COVID-19 numbers show the vaccines are working so he is once again encouraging those who haven’t had a shot to do so or for those who aren’t fully vaccinated yet to get to that level.

Numbers yesterday show out of the 1,220 cases in Saskatchewan during July that over 75 percent were unvaccinated or tested positive within three weeks of receiving their first vaccination.

Paul Merriman says getting vaccinated protects those around you so he is once again urging those with hesitancy to get the shots needed…

“It is protecting not only yourself, but your family.” Merriman told 620 CKRM. ” Whether that generation be above you or below you or it is your grandparents, you want to make sure you are protecting your family and your community. This is how we move past this. This is how we are going to move past COVID. which is still here and we have to be cognizant of it, so the best thing you can do is get out there and get vaccinated.

Merriman is also telling those that still have vaccine hesitancy that the numbers should be showing you what needs to be done.

“I don’t know what more I can say.  The evidence is in and these are the numbers presented to me.  They come straight from the Ministry of Health which provide the factual information.  For those who don’t want to do this, they are rolling the dice and taking a risk that is highly unnecessary.”

The data also shows about a third of the 1,220 cases were in those 19 years of age or under and about 20 percent were in those under 12.  While that is not the news Merriman wants to hear, he says no one in that demographic had to go to intensive care or died.