Camping in Saskatchewan to look different under first phase of reopen plan

Camping  will look a little different this summer as Saskatchewan continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

With the first phase of the province’s reopen plan underway, Saskatchewan residents can start making reservations as of Monday.

“We’re relying on our citizens of Saskatchewan to help everybody out and abide by the rules — social distancing and handwashing as such,” said Dan French, park operations executive director for Saskatchewan Provincial Parks.

“We are going to be enhancing the cleaning in our facilities.”

However, parks and campgrounds are only being made available at 50 per cent capacity when they open on June 1 with a number of restrictions.

Shared facilities including showers, laundry, cookhouses, clubhouses and firewood distribution will remain closed along with recreational facilities such as swimming pools, beach access, picnic areas and playgrounds.

Food and beverage services are suspended as right now, except for pickup or delivery. No group campsites or reservations are permitted while booking double sites is not allowed.

Tents and yurt rentals are not being permitted.

Campground employees must have access to gloves and sanitation wipes to ensure facilities and service areas are disinfected.

“We’re asking people at this time to be familiar with the rules before they book,” French said.

“We’re all partners in this. We all want this to go away quickly, and if we all abide by the rules, I’m sure we will be fine.”

The province is also allowing fishing and boat launches as of Monday.

Outfitters, fishing camps and remote northern guided recreational establishments remain closed until further notice.

1:30 Saskatchewan summer events await official decision on COVID-19 crowd restrictions

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.