Province says 4,000 daily tests remains a "feasible" goal amid capacity concerns

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The provincial government is barely halfway toward the COVID-19 testing goal it set before schools reopened.

Last month, Premier Scott Moe set a benchmark of 4,000 tests per day by early September, calling increased capacity “vital” to the success of his government’s Re-open Saskatchewan plan.

Moe told reporters on Tuesday that the goal remains “feasible;” however, the current daily test record is 2,129.

“I believe we’re very close to having that capacity here today,” Moe said, adding that it will take time to increase capacity. Schools reopened on Sept. 8, and a handful of school-related cases have already been reported.

“You don’t just build this capacity overnight, you take some time to build this capacity, so that we have the capacity to actually test what might be a more challenging scenario than what we are facing here today,” he said.

The 4,000-test goal has been met with skepticism and concern about sustainability from the unions representing some of the province’s licensed medical laboratory technologists, the professionals who analyze samples of SARS-CoV-2.