Provincial parks in Newfoundland and Labrador are going to reopen in two phases as part of Alert Level three.
Day-use activity at 13 provincial park campgrounds and seven day-use provincial parks will be permitted as of next Friday, June 12, while overnight camping at the 13 parks campgrounds will be permitted starting Friday, June 19 with restrictions.
The campsite reservation service will be launched this coming Thursday at 1:30 NDT and government will provide more information as the time draws near. The only accepted form of payment will be debit or credit card.
If all goes well over the next few days, and the number of new #COVID19 cases remains low, on Monday, we will be moving to Alert Level 3. To learn more about what that means, visit: https://t.co/ZtIdDP0uyo #covid19nfld pic.twitter.com/NScrJnPskJ
— Dr. Janice Fitzgerald (@CMOH_NL) June 3, 2020
Overnight camping is expected to resume in full beginning at Alert Level Two.
Cleaning schedules will be enhanced at all parks, but services such as playgrounds, showers, recycling and laundry will be closed or unavailable.
Most Outdoor Sports Likely to be Drills and Skills Rather than Competition, says Sport NL
Those involved in sport and recreation in the province are awaiting guidance from health officials on what the resumption of certain outdoor recreational activities will look like once the province moves to Alert Level Three.
The executive director of Sport NL, Troy Croft, says most sporting activities will likely be in the form of skills and drills until competitive play becomes more feasible with the lifting of further restrictions.
He says competitive game situations will be unlikely in many cases given physical distancing requirements.
Municipalities are also waiting to see how to proceed. Steve Martin is the vice president of Recreation NL and the director of recreation and community events with the Town of Holyrood. He notes that large gatherings are still prohibited.
While day camps can go ahead, the big restriction is preventing large groups from coming together, says Martin. He indicates that means they have to consider the impact on programs and infrastructure.
It’s hoped the guidance will be in place by Monday with some sporting and recreational activities expected to roll out in the weeks ahead.
Salons Working to Maintain Customer Experience
Salons and barbershops are busy getting ready for the move to Alert Level Three as well.
Ponytails, grey hair, and shaved heads have become the norm in recent months as people have gone without hair cuts and hair salon services due to public health restrictions.
Chris Evans is the co-owner of Fog Town barbershop.
He says while some people have gotten used to cutting their own hair, few things compare to the experience of getting your hair cut by a professional.
He admits things will be different, but they’re doing their best to maintain the experience customers enjoy, while exercising appropriate public health measures.
