You can count world and Olympic champion curler Brad Gushue among those alarmed at social media postings showing what’s said to be packed crowds of people on George Street in St. John’s over the weekend.
Photos showing people in clear contravention of social distancing guidelines have led to a strong reaction, including from Gushue, who is not only Newfoundland and Labrador’s best-known athlete, but also a co-owner of a number fitness studios.
Completely disgusted by the pictures I am seeing from George Street! We have to open our gym with strict guidelines and limited capacity. Our members can’t use a water fountain, but this can happen?! Time for our leadership to step up! @CMOH_NL @PremierofNL pic.twitter.com/nLlD7G37oW
— Brad Gushue (@BradGushue) July 6, 2020
“Completely disgusted by the pictures I am seeing from George Street! We have to open our gym with strict guidelines and limited capacity. Our members can’t use a water fountain, but this can happen?! Time for our leadership to step up! @CMOH_NL @PremierofNL,” stated Gushue on his Twitter account (@BradGushue).
This comes a week after Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s chief medical officer, expressed concern about similar reports out of bars, lounges and nightclubs, most of which had only reopen in late June as the province moved to Alert Level 2 in its response plan to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fitzgerald will be providing a virtual technical briefing for media this morning regarding the plans for school re-openings in September. That will be in advance of a virtual news conference outlining the re-opening plan. That news conference, from Springdale and featuring Premier Dwight Ball and education minister Brian Warr, begins at 12:30 p.m.