Re-Open Saskatchewan's Phase 3: Restaurants: Gyms and Fitness

Phase 3 of Saskatchewan's Re-Open Plan (dated June 8, 2020) includes restaurant dining areas (at 50% capacity), churches/places of worship, gyms, and more – but do all these new activities have the same risk?

The Government of Canada’s Covid-19 website now boasts a page called “Going out safely during Covid-19”, that breaks down and compares risk for several activities, including low risk: picking up take-out food or having a family picnic; and high risk: for example bars, and…gyms.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu announced the new tool during a press conference on Friday, June 24, 2020 – and encouraged Canadians to use it ahead of forthcoming summer long-weekends.

"We have the ability to choose our destiny here in Canada. It is in all of our hands. So ask yourself before you go out this weekend — is what I'm about to do worth the risk?” said Hajdu.

The Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre, located on Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s Far Reserve, is ready to safely receive some of its 250 regular guests, says manager Colin Ratushniak.

Ratushniak is a past professional figure skater and current pilot, who lives and works in Northern Saskatchewan.

Changes the Centre have taken to address this ‘high-risk’ environment include: limiting to only one entrance through a check-desk, at-home changing, ‘zones’ for working out in isolation, and limited, brief ‘spotting’.

Dr. Theresa Tam, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada also warned that particular demographics, likely those to utilize the JRMCC Fitness Centre, were now additionally at a greater risk:

"Younger age groups are not invincible against COVID-19. In fact, over 60 per cent of cases, reporting to the public health agency this week…were under the age of 39, and almost one third of these younger adults were hospitalized."

Ratushniak is confident in the safety of the ‘Centre’s changes, noting the immune-boosting nature of exercise and need to keep-moving in these difficult months of waiting for effective Covid-19 drug therapies.