B.C. has laid out a four-phase plan to reopen the economy, health-care system and schools as the number of new cases of COVID-19 slowly declines.
“We’re already at phase one. This is because B.C. did not completely shut down. Other jurisdictions are only now returning to the place B.C. has been at for some time,” Horgan told a news conference on Wednesday.
“Proceeding to the next step will depend on the outcomes and the path of COVID-19. Over the next months, we will continue to expand the number of businesses and services that can operate with strict safety protocols.”
B.C. has no plans to resume large gatherings, including concerts, conferences or professional sports, until a vaccine is available. International travel and tourism will also remain restricted.
Here is the proposed timeline of what will resume in the coming months…
Mid-May
- Elective surgeries
- Dentistry, physiotherapy, registered massage therapy, chiropractors
- Physical therapy, speech therapy and similar
- Retail sector
- Hair salons/barber shops/other personal services
- In-person counselling
- Restaurants, cafes, pubs – if there are sufficient distancing measures
- Museums, art galleries, libraries
- Office-based worksites
- Some recreation/sports. Outdoor, low contact sport is preferable
- Most provincial parks (May 14)
- Beaches and outdoor spaces
- Transit services
- Child care
June
- Hotels and resorts
- More parks, including some overnight camping (June 1)
- Film industry (June/July)
July
- Some entertainment, such as movies and the symphony. No large concerts
September
- K-12 education, with only a partial return to school this year
- Post-secondary education, with a mix of online and in-class instruction
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