Now not the time to re-open economy or relax physical distancing measures: Saskatchewan Union of Nurses

The analogy Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) President Tracy Zambory describes is simple: you wouldn’t go skating on a pond that has just started to freeze over, or you’ll fall through. You need to wait for it to become solid.

That’s why relaxing any physical and social distancing measures or talk of re-opening sectors of the economy at this time are premature, she says.

Premier Scott Moe has said that if COVID-19 cases continue to slow, a plan for re-opening parts of the economy could come as early as next week.

“As registered nurses, we feel quite anxious about that – anxious in that we feel nervous. We don’t want to get ourselves overly confident right now. Now is not the time. Now is the time to be even more cautious.”

We’re just starting to see a ‘flattening of the curve,’ Zambory explains, and strict measures need to remain in place.

She’s spoken with about 500 nurses in the past several days, who tell her they’re not sure what’s ahead of them. For now, things are okay, but that could change very quickly.

Zambory says with better weather on the way, there’s the temptation to get out, to socialize in larger numbers and even to take unnecessary risks.

“It has the potential to really have a negative effect (especially) in long term care. The people in long term care, often the majority of them work in more than one place, so, if when the premier talks about the potential of re-opening Saskatchewan, it really makes registered nurses feel very anxious that then people will start thinking well, ‘I really don’t need to worry about social distancing.'”

If that happens, it wouldn’t take much for a “very bad and very difficult situation” to occur.

She’s hoping the provincial government stays cautious for the foreseeable future.

“For nurses to be able to fight on the front lines, we need to stay the course.”