Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are being asked to consider carefully with whom they decide to “double bubble.”

Effective immediately, residents of the province can now interact with another person or household, provided they don’t interact with others outside those two “bubbles.”

For families who haven’t seen grandparents for an extended period, that will mean some serious choices have to be made.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says there are still risks involved.

She says for grandparents, especially those who are older or have medical conditions, it may be wise not to expand that bubble at all.

The fewer interactions you have with those outside your household, says Fitzgerald, the better.

Transitioning to Level Four: What Is and Isn’t Allowed

Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Officer has laid out what low-risk businesses and activities can open as of May 11th.

If everything goes as planned, the province will move into alert level four on May 11th, meaning some low-risk, non-essential businesses can open, and some outdoor activities can resume.

Dr. Fitzgerald says they want to assess the risk for these businesses or activities.

She says they do that by looking at the number of contacts you may run into and what the intensity of that contact is. Then they want to determine if the business or activity can put measures in place to reduce those risks.

Depending on all of those things, Dr. Fitzgerald says they can decide if a business is a high, medium, or low-risk.

Examples of outdoor recreational activities include things like golfing, (although club houses will not be allowed to open) and solitary activities like angling, hunting, hiking and biking.

Dr. Fitzgerald says non-essential businesses like garden centres and professional services like law firms, accounting firms and financial services can resume.

Small funerals, weddings and gatherings of up to ten-people are now allowed, but physical distancing must continue.

The province’s regional health authorities have a task ahead of them as they prepare for the resumption of elective procedures and surgeries starting May 11th.

Health Minister John Haggie says the various health authorities will look at the procedures that have been delayed and prioritize which need to go first – but the criteria will be different.

He says the first surgical procedures, both diagnostic and therapeutic, will likely be those that do not put a demand on beds and minimize the risk of ICU admissions.

Some Restrictions to Remain in Place

As some restrictions around COVID-19 begin to be lifted, there are still some that will stay in place for the long haul.

These include no visitors to hospitals or long-term and personal-care homes, the one worker, one-home policy and self-isolation for those entering the province.

When asked why they are not permitting even one visitor into hospitals or long-term care homes, Dr. Fitzgerald says at this point it’s simply not worth the risk.

She says it is still very early, and they have to protect vulnerable populations after the tragedies that have occurred in many long-term care and personal-care homes across the country. They do not want that to happen here. She says the benefits do not outweigh the risks.

As well, Dr. Fitzgerald says be prepared for a life without mass gatherings or travel outside the province for the foreseeable future.

She says that means festivals and concerts planned for the summer and fall won’t be able to go ahead. International travel will not be possible for the foreseeable future, and she encourages people to vacation at home.