Downtown Lethbridge. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge Chamber welcomes relaunch strategy, but safety comes first

May 1, 2020 | 12:17 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Some parts of the economy could be reopening shortly and the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce says that is a good thing.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Thursday the phased Economic Relaunch Strategy, which outlines how and when different sectors can expect to reopen. More details here.

Stage 1 could formally begin on May 14 and would see the relaunch of, among others, retail businesses, restaurants at a limited capacity, museums, daycares, and some personal services like hair styling.

“It’ll be interesting and exciting when May 14 approaches because, you know, I think people are ready to get back out and be in our community and get some economic revival going,” says Chamber Executive Officer Cyndi Vos.

Some of the highlights of a recent survey from the Lethbridge Region Economic Recovery Task Force include 51 per cent of local businesses reducing staffing levels, 78 per cent seeing a decline in sales, and 41 per cent reporting that they will not survive more than three months in the current climate without additional support.

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“It really highlighted the number of businesses that had significantly gone down in staffing, in income, and I think a little bit of drawing that line in the sand was setting some dates and stages will really give some energy and that forward ability to plan.”

At the same time, Vos understands that not everyone is excited about heading back to work so soon. Some members of the public have expressed concerns to LNN about being exposed to people who have contracted COVID-19 but might not yet show any symptoms.

She is encouraging business owners to speak with those who run essential businesses that have been operating at full or limited capacity during the pandemic to see how they have altered their operations and what kinds of personal protective equipment were utilized and in what ways.

The Chamber released its own guide for companies that are gearing up to reopen that can be accessed here.

It outlines actions such as creating a new cleaning schedule and placing markers on the floor to indicate the directions customers should walk and how far they should stay apart.

Vos says it is important to post these details in places where customers can easily see them.

“We have to put our employees and our customers at the forefront of reopening, so if they can see what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, it just adds that peace of mind.”

While May 14 will likely be the date that some stores can reopen, Vos is encouraging business owners to consider whether they and their employees feel comfortable opening at this time. If they are not comfortable doing this just yet, she is urging the public to understand where they are coming from.