Premier Horgan says plans toward new normal coming next week

Wednesday April 29, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC

by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News

Next week the BC Government will be announcing their plan toward opening up economic recovery “and we’ll go from there”, says Premier John Horgan today while addressing media. He also mentioned that the State of Emergency in BC has been extended for another two weeks.

So that’s early May as the expected delivery date for the news toward economic recovery that individuals, families, businesses and all sectors of the economy have been waiting for. And mid-May that British Columbians are all still subject to the restrictions of the orders of the Public Health Officer and the enforcement that comes through the State of Emergency.  

But the emergence from the BC-style sectorized lockdown during this first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic won’t see the economy back up and running at all once. It depends on everyone still doing physical distancing and on consumers in particular having confidence to begin interacting again in the marketplace, Horgan explained in his one-hour session with media also streamed live on Facebook.

Guidelines for various economic sectors will be put in place to help assure the confidence of consumer and employers.

Going forward toward the new normal, Horgan says it will be imperative that people do not go to any workplace if they are ill. This came to light, in particular, due to the scenario at the poultry processing plant in Vancouver where people were working despite being ill — either out of financial necessity or because they were required by the employer to be there.

Underpinning a move away from people working ill is a better set of legislation and regulations regarding sick pay that will be supportive to people so they can in fact stay home when they’re ill, without incurring financial detriment or hardship.

The Premier said his government has been “working on a thousand things all at the same time” in response to the pandemic, in the various ways that have been required for keeping all British Columbians and businesses as safe and as stable as possible.

Horgan says that BC’s approach has been “guided by science” and has used a phased-in approach. “Unlike other provinces, we resisted the call for a full lockdown, but took an approach of how could we keep sectors operating safely, rather than shutting them down.”

As one way of explaining the eagerness that he shares with British Columbians for getting the economy back on its feet, today Horgan — himself a sports fan — outlined to media the important scope and impact of team sports in the economy, with its many spin-offs into associated sectors, such as the beverage industry.