'Do it right' more important than 'do it fast,' Sask. NDP leader says of COVID-19 reopening plan

SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan's Opposition leader says any plan to "reopen" the province must include steps to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Premier Scott Moe gave a rare address to the province, on the eve of the expected rollout of a plan to ease the restrictions on daily life put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In an interview with CTV News shortly after the address, NDP leader Ryan Meili pointed to neighbouring Alberta, where more than 300 new cases  were reported Wednesday.

"They talked about reopening, now they're dealing with a significant second wave. We don't want to see that here. That can wind up costing us more and also slowing down our recovery."

In his address, the premier said the first phases of the five-stage plan could start in May, with the dates to be revealed Thursday when the plan is presented.

But we can't get back to normal without first making 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.

— Ryan Meili (@ryanmeili) April 23, 2020

Meili, who is also a physician, said he's more focused on how the plan will actually work, rather than the potential timeline. 

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"How are we going to make sure that we're doing contact tracing and testing, that we're making sure that people are protected so we don't see a resurgence," Meili said.

"Making sure we do it right is probably more important than making sure we do it fast."