Regina, SK – The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has released the results of its recent survey on the province’s July 11 target date to remove all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. Members of the Saskatchewan business community shared their input on topics such as the timeliness of restrictions being lifted, how their business will respond, whether or not their business will recover to pre-pandemic levels, and plans for returning employees to the workplace. The survey was conducted through InputSask, a Saskatchewan business-focused input community that provides timely and accurate insight into the key issues affecting Saskatchewan businesses.

Key Highlights:

• 49% of respondents believe July 11 is an appropriate date to lift all restrictions, 24% think it is too early, 16% think it is too late, and 12% are unsure.
• 70% of respondents plan to continue enforcing either all or some COVID-19 protocols (i.e. physical distancing, mask wearing, sanitizing, etc.) after restrictions are lifted.
• 68% of respondents feel their business is fully prepared for all restrictions to be lifted.
• 47% of respondents expect their business to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, 25% do not expect to recover, and 21% are “unsure”.

“As the provincial chamber of commerce, it’s important we continually engage with and listen to the voices of the Saskatchewan business community, especially now that we are welcoming more employees back to the workplace and restrictions are soon being lifted,” said Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO, Steve McLellan.

“It’s no secret that many businesses have been impacted significantly by the pandemic and it’s going to take some time until things return to normal,” continued McLellan. “For many organizations, a return to pre-pandemic ways is simply not possible and employers need to continue to adapt to accommodate a transformed workforce returning to the workplace.”

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce strongly encourages all Saskatchewan businesses and residents to continue using all tools available like getting fully vaccinated, social distancing, and rapid testing to ensure that we can finish the race to recovery and enjoy a safe summer together.

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The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is the Voice of Saskatchewan Business and represents the interests of over 10,000 individual businesses, industry associations, and local chambers across the province through its chamber network. Information on InputSask and other Chamber advocacy initiatives can be found at saskchamber.com or @SaskChamber on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Steve McLellan
CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
306-533-7686
smclellan@saskchamber.com