Fewer COVID measures in Saskatchewan as Re-Opening Roadmap begins

The curtain is beginning to close on the COVID pandemic in Saskatchewan.

The province starts the first step of the Re-Opening Roadmap Sunday.

The following restrictions are easing up:

• A maximum of 10 people at indoor and outdoor gatherings, including household gatherings
• Public indoor gatherings of a maximum of 30 people
• Public outdoor gatherings of a maximum of 150 people
• Outdoor sports like baseball are allowed to go ahead with some restrictions
• Restaurants and bars — Six people can sit at a table. A two-meter distance or a structural barrier would need to be in place between tables. VLTs can be made available.
• Places of worship – They can allow up to 150 people, if they have the space. Otherwise, they can allow up to 30 per cent capacity with distancing between households.
• Group fitness classes that involve intense training, such as aerobics – These classes have to maintain at least three metres between participants.

In addition, movie theatres also reopen in Regina.

However, there are still a fair amount of measures, including the provincial mask mandate. .

980 CJME hit the streets to see how people are feeling about the new steps.

“I’m really happy about it … it’s great,” Rick Nagel from Regina said.

He’s most excited about enjoying patio season with friends he hasn’t seen for a while.

When asked about the first thing he would do Sunday is, he was rather direct.

“Probably go to the bar,” he said with a chuckle.

Nathan White is also excited to see his friends.

“Me and my partner have four kids. It’ll be nice to see somebody else for a change other than those five people. I love them, but, you know… enough is enough,” he said with a laugh.

Jonathan Boucher is cautiously optimistic.

“I think it makes sense. I’m not a scientist, so I’m not going to speak to what’s the right answer and what’s the wrong answer. I think there have been some funny steps along the way, but overall I think we’re at a good point,” he said.

Garth Senft thinks that, leading up to Sunday’s changes, it was easy to tell that people are feeling good about the COVID situation.

“Even driving around the city now, you can see that people are more optimistic. There’s more traffic, coffee shops are a lot busier and I think people are getting in the right mood,” he said.

He’s glad about all of the loosening restrictions, but there’s still one thing he wishes could change right away.

“Get Mosaic Stadium open so we can go watch football. It’s a hard thing for the government and healthcare to get things going, but I think they’re definitely in the right direction.”

The Re-Opening Roadmap will continue with its second step on June 20. That phase will raise the cap on private gatherings to 15 people, get rid of all restrictions on sports and allow up to 150 people at places like casinos, among other changes.

The third step will begin three weeks after then, as long as 70 per cent of people aged 18 or older receive their first dose of the COVID vaccine by June 20. Most restrictions will be lifted, but the government is still working out the specifics for the final phase.