Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | May 7, 2020
VICTORIA — British Columbia has reached the point in the COVID-19 pandemic where it will start a gradual reopening of the economy while also allowing social interactions between families, friends and communities to increase.
The plan to restart the province begins with certain health services, retail outlets, restaurants, salons, museums and parks resuming some operations in mid-May, Premier John Horgan said at a news conference Wednesday.
All of the government’s reopening plans are based on organizations and businesses developing plans that follow provincial guidelines to control the spread of COVID-19, he said.
B.C.’s plan to lift restrictions implemented in mid-March to fight COVID-19 are a result of the steady decline of positive case numbers in recent weeks, but the reopening must be done carefully to prevent a resurgence of the virus, Horgan said.
“If we lose this discipline, everything we worked for to this point will be lost,” he said. “We need to get it right. This is not a return to normal. We’re going to the new normal.”
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and three more deaths. The province has had 124 deaths and 2,255 cases of COVID-19, with 1,494 people having recovered from the illness.
Horgan said B.C.’s reopening will look different than other provinces because much of the economy was not shut down.
The government did close schools, nightclubs, personal services and provincial parks, and cancelled elective surgeries. Events and gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited and health offices urged physical distancing, frequent hand washing and staying home if sick.
Horgan said within days, the government will resume elective surgeries, reopen other health services, including dentistry, physiotherapy and counselling.
Under the guidelines, small gatherings of between two and six people among families and friends are allowed, while the prohibition on large social gatherings of more than 50 people is maintained.
Provincial parks will reopen for day-use only and the B.C. legislature will be recalled, he said.
“It won’t be the flip of a switch. We’ll be proceeding carefully,“ Horgan added.
Horgan said he expects measures like not shaking hands and continuing physical distancing and prohibitions on large groups to be part of regular daily life for the next 12 to 18 months.