On Wednesday British Columbia Premier John Horgan along with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix announced how the province will begin to reopen the economy starting in mid-May.
Among those businesses slated to reopen in mid-May are certain health services, retail outlets, restaurants, salons and museums.
Hotels, resorts and parks could begin reopening in June while some entertainment venues would be slated for reopening in July. However, large concerts would not be included in this.
Alberta’s revised coronavirus projection models released on Tuesday predict the province will reach its peak in the number of COVID-19 cases by mid-May.
Premier Jason Kenney unveiled the updated modelling on Tuesday, which included a new “low” modelling scenario, during a daily briefing with health officials.
Under the new low forecast, an estimated 298 Albertans will require hospitalization and 95 will need critical care when the virus reaches its peak.
Kenney said hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units (ICU) remain “well below” initial model predictions.
B.C. health officials say measures put in place to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus are working, but restrictions won’t be lifted until the middle of May at the earliest.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says officials are looking at a re-opening of the health-care system in May as a first step, but a huge number of barriers still need to be cleared.
“For the health-care system to start ramping up again — outpatient visits, surgeries, diagnosis test increases … these things need to happen in tandem. But we need to do it in a way that does not increase risk of people coming together, spreading the virus and transmitting it,” Henry said.
