Restaurants, schools, parks, retail stores and many other establishments now have specific guidelines for reopening from WorkSafeBC.

The province’s regulator for employees and employers has now come out with those guidelines ahead of phase two of the province’s reopening plan, which will allow many businesses to reopen after the Victoria Day long weekend.

The plan includes six universal recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19, including assessing the risk of the workplace and bringing in measures and policies to maintain hygiene and social distancing. Those recommendations also include developing a communication plan and training to make sure protective measures are being maintained.

It says a company’s COVID-19 safety plan for compliance must be posted at each work site, but it says it will not be reviewing each individual plan, and therefore plans will not need approval from WorkSafeBC before a business can reopen.

“You do not need a formal plan in place to begin operation, but are expected to develop it while protecting the safety of your workers,” the document reads.

The industry-specific guidelines can be found by clicking here.

The B.C. government has been criticized for giving WorkSafeBC a large task of preparing guidelines on short notice, ahead of the province’s anticipated move to phase two of the economic reopening plan on May 19.

NL News has spoken to many local businesses in recent days, who say they are not prepared to reopen next week because they have been waiting for details on how to safely do so.

NL Newsday has been looking for several days to speak with Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, or a representative with WorkSafeBC about its planning and its reopening guidelines.