Province enters second-last phase
With the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador successfully ended, the province enters the next phase of reopening its economy.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald confirmed the shift to Alert Level 2, effective as of Wednesday.
“The progress we have made to date has been possible because of your support and commitment to following the public health measures in place,” Fitzgerald said.
“I’m deeply grateful for your efforts and the trust you’ve placed in the public health system.”
The second-to-last stage of the public health emergency in the province will allow public gatherings of 50 people in outdoor spaces.
Fitzgerald asked people to keep four principles in mind: “People, space, time and place. The greater number of people we interact with, the greater the risk of spread of COVID-19, and that physical distancing is crucial to reducing our risk of contracting the virus,” said Fitzgerald.
Places of worship will be permitted to open, with restrictions, but Fitzgerald says not all places of worship are ready to open at this time.
Fitness facilities, gyms, arenas and indoor pools are allowed to reopen, with restrictions. Bars and lounges can reopen with reduced occupancy, as can bingo halls and cinemas. Performance spaces can also reopen with reduced capacity, but summer festivals are still restricted to prevent mass gatherings.
“As you set out this summer with family and friends to explore and experience what our beautiful provinces has to offer, please continue to be COVID wise and be safe,” said Fitzgerald.
When it comes to one’s personal bubble, “common sense” must prevail, Fitzgerald said.
“You have your bubbles as they are, which is the double bubble and the extended bubble with (six) extra people,” said Fitzgerald.
“Really what we’re saying right now as we start to move about is you need to keep your close contacts outside of the bubble as low as you can.”
ATLANTIC BUBBLE
Premier Dwight Ball said a meeting of Atlantic premiers on Tuesday evening resulted in an Atlantic bubble, to begin on July 3.
Anyone travelling between Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia may do so without the need for 14 days of self-isolation before moving within each province.
“The thing to remember is that this does not apply to visitors from other Canadian provinces and territories,” Ball said.
“The decision to ease travel restrictions throughout Atlantic Canada was guided by all of the provincial chief medical officers of health. Decisions like this one are not taken lightly.”
Ball says if all goes well, further travel restrictions will be eased for the rest of the country.
“This can only be possible if we get favourable results in the days and weeks leading into July 17. In order for this to work, we must maintain good public health measures. We will never hesitate to go back, if we have to,” he said.
Ball says each province will maintain its autonomy in any situation where the Atlantic bubble must be restricted.
“We’ll make that decision based on information from our province and the impact on our residents,” he said.
Fitzgerald said there is no specific measure public health officials are looking out for to trigger the re-introduction of restrictions.
“Our goal with this is to keep moving forward. We want to be able to live with COVID-19 and we want to not have to go back,” Fitzgerald said.
“We know we’re going to see cases of COVID-19. We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve gotten used to living with no cases. I think people need to be aware and be ready that we are likely going to see cases.
“Obviously, if we start to see a large number of cases for which we can’t find a source, then that would be concerning to us and would make us think about other measures we might have to put in place. We acted at a provincial level before, and perhaps we could focus at a more regional level in the future. That’s something we’re looking at as well,” Fitzgerald said.