Weeks of strict physical distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic have caused normal life in Canada to grind to a halt — but some provinces are now offering frameworks for how things will inch back toward a semblance of normalcy.
Weeks of strict physical distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic have caused normal life in Canada to grind to a halt — but some provinces are now offering frameworks for how things will inch back toward a semblance of normalcy.
The federal government is leaving each province to figure out what those plans should look like, leading to some stark differences in timing and specificity as they start to roll out across the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that every region in Canada is facing a different situation when it comes to the virus.
“The provinces have the authority to determine what is in their best interests,” Trudeau said. “It’s not up to the federal government to check or oversee the provinces in their areas of jurisdiction … they have the responsibility to do what is right for their citizens.”
Ontario was the latest province to offer up such a framework, when officials released a plan Monday to gradually re-open the province’s economy.
But that plan was vague on specifics, offered no firm dates, and gave few details about when that effort will begin — though it did say large-scale public gatherings like concerts and sporting events “will continue to be restricted for the foreseeable future,” even once the plan is well underway.
Case counts in Ontario are still higher than in much of the country, with 424 newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases announced Monday.
Premier Doug Ford said the province’s plan is “about how we’re reopening, not when we’re reopening.
“That’s why I won’t set hard dates until we’re ready — because the virus travels at its own speed,” he said.
Officials in Ontario say they plan to gradually reopen all workplaces and public spaces, but with continued physical distancing practices. The plan would roll out in three phases:
- First, opening select workplaces and allowing some small gatherings.
- Second, opening more workplaces and outdoor spaces, allowing larger gatherings.
- Third, further relaxing restrictions on public gatherings, and “opening all workplaces responsibly.”
Provincial officials would not specify which businesses would fall into each tier.
WATCH: Ford on Ontario’s plan
Premier Doug Ford outlined the plan to gradually reopen Ontario, but didn’t provide a date for when the p