Regional health authorities can now explore how to bring back some level of planned services, like elective surgeries and procedures, as the province has moved to Alert Level Four, but the health minister says it will not be business as usual for a while.

Health Minister John Haggie says even in Alert Level One there will be restrictions in place that will not change until a vaccine or treatment is readily available

Haggie says health authorities have continued on with emergency services and cancer-related surgeries where possible since the lockdown.

The first wave has seemed to pass, says Haggie, and the health system has adapted itself to cope in the event of a surge of cases.

He says we need to keep in mind that there will be a second wave, and the healthcare system has to be in a position to respond to that with potential for very little warning.

Haggie says he can already detect a sense in the community to move faster than what the plan has allowed for.

The Minister says to remember that whatever normal you think is out there and are working towards, won’t be the normal you had before the pandemic.

Province Looking at Numbers as Well as Trends for Alert Level Three: Fitzgerald

Meanwhile, there are a number of individual indicators that government will be exploring to help determine how and if the province can move ahead into Alert Level Three.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says they won’t just be looking at the number of new cases, but also the trends in those cases.

She says that could be sporadic cases or a gradual increase from day-to-day.

As well, Dr. Fitzgerald says they will look at ICU bed capacity, public health capacity and how well they are responding to cases and contact tracing.

Up to now, she says that work has been stellar.