Saskatchewan is the first Canadian province to reopen parts of its economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the first part of a five-step plan in restarting the province’s economy will begin on May 4. The western Canadian province is well below the national average of COVID-19 cases, which prompted Moe and his cabinet to slowly start lifting restrictions so businesses and employees can get back to work.
The “Re-Open Saskatchewan” plan outlines a five-step path to slowly start lifting restrictions for businesses. While it gives set dates for the first two phases, it states that the third phase will be based on results achieved. So far, Saskatchewan has reported 326 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.
Some other provinces are thinking about reopening parts of their economies as the spread of the virus becomes more manageable, but Saskatchewan says it’s the first to release a detailed plan with dates and a timeline.
Restrictions are to lift first for medical services such as dentists, optometrists and physical therapists on May 4. That also applies to fishing and boat launches. Golf courses could be allowed to reopen on May 15, followed on May 19 by retail shops that sell clothing, flowers, books, sporting goods and toys. The government says hairdressers, barbers, massage therapists, and acupuncturists could also begin seeing clients again on that day, but employees working directly with customers would have to wear masks.
The plan calls for businesses to maintain strict cleanliness standards as well as physical distancing. Operators would be asked to screen clients and wear masks and gloves if those measures were not possible.
Next, officials would consider lifting restrictions on indoor and outdoor recreational and entertainment facilities and bumping up the size of allowable gatherings to 30 people from the current 10. The final phase of the plan includes lifting restrictions on crowd sizes, visits to long-term care facilities and non-essential travel. Moe has said those restrictions will remain for some time.
Saskatchewan’s plan doesn’t provide a timeline for when gyms might be allowed to operate or when daycare capacity might be increased. Nor does it give a time frame for food services and restaurants to reopen, but when they do, they will be expected to operate at half their capacity.