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When will Whistler facilities reopen?

B.C. 'getting close' to easing restrictions, but no date yet
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File photo by Braden Dupuis

AS WHISTLERITES pass the 40-day mark in quarantine, one question is on the minds of many—when can Whistler reopen its facilities?

The question was put to mayor and council by a letter writer at the April 21 council meeting (held over Zoom).

In it, the letter writer posited that new cases of COVID-19 are on the decline in B.C., and that services like the Whistler Public Library, the Meadow Park Sports Centre and the FireSmart program can be re-opened with proper measures in place.

"I think that this is exactly the direction that we'll be going as a country moving forward. I certainly don't want us to rush there by any means but it's crucial to the mental and physical health of our community that we be open," said Mayor Jack Crompton in response.

"We don't want to do anything before we feel like we're getting that direction from Dr. (Bonnie) Henry and [Vancouver Coastal Health], and before we feel like the protocols we have in place meet the safety standards that we are being given by our health authority."

As it relates to FireSmart, the goal is have the program up and running "sooner rather than later," Crompton said.

"So I'd say yes, we want to open, but we are committed to doing so in a safe manner."

Those hoping for specific timelines will have to wait.

In a media briefing on April 27, Henry said the province is making plans to relax province-wide restrictions aimed at fighting COVID-19, but a firm date has not been set.

"Getting close" was as far as Henry ventured during a news conference Monday.

But she said falling COVID-19 case numbers in the province are speeding up ongoing plans to introduce a strategy to ease restrictions.

"It's clear evidence that our sustained efforts to follow public health measures are working in B.C.," Henry said. "Safe physical distancing and self-isolation requirements have slowed the rate of transmission and we're now seeing a decrease in numbers."

Over the past two days, 50 people in B.C. have tested positive for the disease for a total of 1,998, she said.

Three more people have died and the provincial death toll now is at 103, while 1,190 people have recovered from COVID-19.

Henry said the rate of transmission has slowed and health officials are able to find more links to outbreaks with increased surveillance, which means the time to start easing restrictions is approaching.

"We're getting close to the time where we can open up," Henry said. "Plans are being developed here in B.C. and have been for the past weeks, but we are taking the time to do it right.

"Our focus is to provide a consistent framework so that different sectors know where they need to operate within."

She said businesses in B.C. play a role when it comes to relaxing restrictions while ensuring the safety of workers.

"Simply put, protecting your employees protects your business and protects all of us," Henry said.

On a national level, Canada is making progress in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic but we're far from out of the woods, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, April 28.

At the same time, Trudeau warned that caution remains the watchword when it comes to lifting restrictions that have devastated the economy.

"The measures we've taken so far are working. In many parts of the country, the curve has flattened," Trudeau said at his daily briefing. "(But) if we lift measures too quickly, we might lose the progress we've made."

As provinces release their outlines or plans for getting their people on the road to normalcy, the prime minister said the federal government would also be releasing its framework for easing up on the restrictions. However, he said it's imperative to have a coordinated and consistent approach "grounded in shared understanding and appreciation" of the threats we face.

Getting the country moving, he said, won't be an overnight process. Among other things, it will depend on capacity for testing and tracing coronavirus infections and ensuring that workers are safe on the job.

"Controlling transmission is key," he said. "Restarting our economy will be gradual and careful and will be guided by science."

Canada is closing in on 50,000 known cases, of which more than 2,700 have been fatal. Ontario, in its latest report, snapped a three-day string of declining new cases as another 59 more people died. The province is now approaching 1,000 deaths.

Quebec, which has been hit hardest by the epidemic, has set May 11 for reopening schools and daycares, although attendance would be voluntary. High schools, junior colleges and universities are to remain closed until September. Ontario has drawn up a gradual reopening framework but has given no dates or schedule, other than that schools will stay closed until at least the end of May.

While work continues in Canada and around the world on finding a COVID vaccine, a new Leger poll for the Association for Canadian Studies finds 60 per cent of Canadians believe inoculation once available should be mandatory, while the rest think it should be voluntary.

Trudeau said it was far too early to discuss the issue of whether everyone should have to get a shot.

"We are still unfortunately a long way from having a vaccine," Trudeau said. "As far as the protocols are concerned, we still have a fair bit of time to reflect on that."

-with files from Dirk Meissner and Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press