The province of Saskatchewan will unveil a plan on Thursday morning to re-open in five phases.

On Wednesday night, Premier Scott Moe addressed Saskatchewan citizens live from his office at the Saskatchewan Legislature.

Moe says he believes Saskatchewan can gradually allow businesses to re-open and get people back to work and that there are risks involved.

“If we move too quickly, we risk increasing the spread of COVID-19. If we move too slowly, we risk permanent damage to the livelihoods of thousands of Saskatchewan people. Businesses that never reopen, and jobs that never come back.” Moe said.” So, we have to find the right path.”

He also praised everyone from healthcare workers to first responders to teachers to those working from home to those who are still working and to those who have gone above and beyond by making hot meals, running errands and doing what they can to help saying adversity does reveal character and that Saskatchewan’s character has been shown in this crisis.

“The last few weeks have been difficult for everyone,” Moe said. “This isn’t how things are supposed to be. People are meant to be together. It’s against our very nature to stay apart. But by doing so, we protected ourselves, our families, our neighbors and our province.”

The plan will be introduced in full Thursday morning at 10:30 with Moe sitting alongside provincial Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab. That plan will be gradual, methodical and cautious in nature.

Scott Moe’s address to Saskatchewan can be seen here.  It starts at the five minute mark.

Provincial NDP leader Ryan Meili, like Moe, is praising Saskatchewan citizens for stepping up to protect one another during the pandemic.

Meili is being non-committal on the plan to re-open Saskatchewan, but he does say we first need to make sure that the steps forward are safe steps. That our healthcare system is ready, with protective equipment, with testing, with enough capacity to respond to new cases, and that we need to make sure the supports are in place for workers, for families and for the most vulnerable in our province.

We’ve stepped up – now we need our government to step up, to put Saskatchewan people first.

He says one step to accomplishing that would be to raise the minimum wage so that it is not the second lowest one in Canada.  He adds now more than ever, Saskatchewan people need to stand together and lift each other up, and we need a government that will help us do that, for today and for the future.