REGINA — Saskatchewan will be lifting all remaining public health measures meant to protect against COVID-19 as of July 11.

Premier Scott Moe says the province can move to Step 3 of its pandemic reopening plan since Saskatchewan is so close to reaching the vaccination thresholds needed fora  full re-opening.

Moe's comments came in the province's daily pandemic update, which says 70 per cent of residents over the age of 18 and 69 per cent of those over 12 have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The update says the removal of all public health measures includes the end of the province-wide mandatory masking order, as well as all capacity limits on events and gathering.

Details of the move to Step 3 comes only a day after the province said 70 per cent of adults had received an initial dose of vaccine and revealed, in general terms, that public health precautions would be easing on July 11.

That announcement said other remaining restrictions could be removed as soon as Saskatchewan approached 70 per cent of residents ages 12 and older having received their first vaccine dose.

Moe thanked Saskatchewan residents on Sunday, saying the decision to lift all public health measures is possible "because so many people have done their part by getting vaccinated."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2021.

The Canadian Press