Is It Early for the BC Restart Plan?
Its been a very unusual two months where many of us had to stay at home except for shopping and other essential needs. Some continued to work in crucial jobs and industries, even harder than before (like health workers), as addressed by the government. Federal and Provincial governments took actions to support businesses and Individuals during hard times. Now, BC has put together a Restart Plan to vitalize the economy and normalize our lives as much as possible.
Is this a bit too early for this decision, and what we should expect from it. Here are some notes to help us understand where we are and what we need to do.
British Columbia Did Well in the Fight with COVID-19!
British Columbia achieved one of the best results in terms of flattening the famous COVID-19 curve, with a very stable number of new cases every day now. Of course, we had to mourn for more than a hundred people we lost to COVID-19 in BC, but compared to the results of other communities, provinces and countries, we can say we did a great job so far. We have the lowest fatality rate among all the jurisdictions in North America, with a population of 5 million and more.
Based on these impressive results and well applied social distancing measures, BC Government and health authorities announced a plan to bring things back to a more regular flow of social and economic life.
What to Expect in May?
May will bring many changes to our daily life. Below is the list of significant changes planned, and hopefully will continue in the following months:
Restaurants, Cafes, and Pubs
– This will by far be the most significant change in our lives probably, with distancing measures in place (guess the smaller tables will be more popular)
Retail Sector
– This will be a substantial improvement since retail business is an excellent contribution to employment, together with restaurants and cafes.
Recreation and Sports
– We were enjoying outdoor sports with more sunny days recently—lots of hikes, biking and jogging. Considering the hygiene, would you fancy going swimming in a pool?
Parks, Beaches & Outdoor Spaces
– Uh, this is a significant improvement, but we were already seeing a considerable number of people in the parks and beaches anyway. You may have seen the mother’s day weekend pics. But then again, it is exciting to know Sasamat, Cultus and lakes in Whistler will be opening soon.
Medical Services
– You probably have been on some pills to forget about your neck and back pain. Finally, you will be able to enjoy the services of your therapist, dentist and similar services. Is it a bit too much to stay your mouth open for half an hour, in these times of C-19?
Hair Salons
– A better-looking community at last. Expect longer than usual wait times.
Child Care
– Definitely a relief for parents after running out all the exhausting game creation sessions with the kids. Kids to care homes, parents to work.
What else is Next in Summer 2020?
BC restart plan includes below actions for major industries that are crucial to the economy.
Hotels, resorts and camping grounds are planned to be open by JUNE. So we will not be missing all the good weather and the summer season probably. Families and friends will likely fill in the camping grounds as outdoor activities are always less risky than the indoor gatherings.
Cinemas will also be opening their doors by JULY. It looks like Netflix took over the movie entertainment these days, but the smell of popcorn with a large screen is always a ritual. Try not to choose blockbusters to avoid the crowds.
Post-secondary education and schools will have to wait until SEPTEMBER before everyone can see their mates in actual classes. We may expect a mix of in-class and online sessions by then.
Longer-Term Expectations
Everyone is hoping for a vaccine or another widely available cure for COVID-19 to come as this would be the only way to the “normal” normal life we are expecting to see.
The authorities say that without these, we will have to see the effects of the outbreak in our lives for probably a long time.
Fortunately, these days we hear a lot of good news about possible cures and vaccine trials from all over the world, and we are all hoping for a quick and easy solution to come sooner than later. BC restart plan is expected to be updated with the news coming in, hopefully in a positive way.
Until then, let’s be careful and keep our social distance to the best we can for ourselves and everybody else in the community.
Stay Safe!
Jovi Realty
info@jovirealty.com Call Us at 604.202.2929