BC Officially Enters Phase Two Restart Plan and The Situation in Vancouver

BC Officially Enters Phase Two Restart Plan and The Situation in Vancouver

  • British Columbia
  • Community
  • Coronavirus
  • Economy
May 21, 2020

Starting from mid May, provinces and territories began re-opening their economies as the virus spread slows down and numbers of confirmed cases remain consistent. We are entering into Summer which helps contains the virus because the virus is weak against high temperature.

British Columbia has officially opened after the Victoria Day long weekend entering second phase of the BC’s Restart Plan after two months of shutdown. Before phase two, restaurants and retail are only allowed to provide curbside pickup, malls closed, and parks closed. People were encouraged to stay home if possible.

What changes in Phase Two? Starting May 19, restaurants, retail, museums, café and pubs, office spaces and childcare facilities may open for businesses. Parks, beaches, and recreational facilities are reopening as well. The couples of items missing from the above list are large event gatherings. It is reasonable to say that we are re-opened and there are plenty of “catching up” to do.

However, there are restrictions. To open for businesses, company must have COVID-19 safety plan in place meeting public health and safety guidelines. From our experience, most businesses are still preparing and planning to re-open their businesses in June.

Holt Renfrew on its first day is limiting the number of visitors inside the mall with long lineups at its entrances. The only retail open at Pacific Center is H&M. All employees onsite have protective mask and sanitizer in the corridors. Some store also requires mandatory sanitizing before entering their space.

We have reached out to number of restaurant and they are planning to allow in-store sitting starting from June. The number of sitting will be reduced to ensure social distancing between customers.

WorkSafeBC has safety guideline businesses must adhere to and will be sending out 300 prevention officers to oversee the enforcement of theses guidelines.

Schools will be officially open on September 1, 2020. Student may voluntarily return to class on June 1st. Class size will be limited to 50% for elementary school and 20% for secondary school, or one day a week. For post secondary, it is at the school’s discretion to continue to offer online classes.

Disease prevention is anxious about the re-opening because social distance and quarantine stopped the virus from spreading. Re-opening would put everyone back at risk, but it is necessary to re-open the economy. The recovery rate of COVID-19 is impressive, and the curve flatten, businesses will face too much burden when the economy continues to halt.

Next two weeks will be critical to see how the virus will do when we “soft open” the economy. We have more testing kits today. If the numbers continued to be controlled, we will see further steps into the re-opening. The next question is when will the borders open?

Our neighbours in the south is not doing too good with their COVID-19 containment and the boarder will be closed until June 21st. It is too early to determine the situation with the United States. We are seeing more cars on the roads of Vancouver and oil pricing rebounding. It is a good start.

 

Yoyoe Lu

Founder and managing principal
yoyoe@claridgeadvisors.com

Yoyoe is the founder and managing principal of Claridge. She was ranked one of Vancouver’s top real estate agents. Currently, Yoyoe is our strategic mind leading the team to success. Her affiliation with industry professionals put her ahead of our competitors. Yoyoe is also part of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Canadian Homebuilders Association, Urban Land Institute and Urban Development Institute.

Ashley Osborn

Development Site and Investment Specialist
ashley@claridgeadvisors.com

Ashely is our lead land and investment advisor. He has been consistently featured in the annual top 100 real estate deals of British Columbia ranking. With over $15 billion worth of domestic and international real estate investments under his belt, Ashley is one of the top agents in the province. His 20 years of real estate and financial experience make him a master in negotiation and acquisition.

Patricia Wong Chong

Investment and Leasing Specialist
patricia@claridgeadvisors.com

Patricia is our investment and retail leasing advisor. Her experience in brokerage and market research analysis has helped her comprise over $550 million in commercial real estate transactions. Patricia is responsible, detail-oriented, and professional. Her strong work ethic and positive attitude have led her to surpass all her competitors.

Schumann Li

Land Assembly & Residential Specialist
schumann@claridgeadvisors.com

Schumann is a top-producing realtor in the Lower Mainland with more than 30 years’ experience. Over the years, Schumann hasn’t just garnered awards, but the trust of countless customers. Her clients continually refer to her outstanding professionalism, work ethic and poise.

Wendy Kaip

Sales Associate
wendy@claridgeadvisors.com

Whether it’s decoding city policies, strategizing relocation plans, home sellers looking for a trustworthy advisor to unlock their property’s maximum potential- Wendy is here to help every step along the way.

Prior to real estate, Wendy spent over a decade in the mining industry with her attention to detail, keen negotiation skills, extensive network and strong reputation for getting the deal done, bringing endless value to her current real estate clients.

Whether you are thinking about selling to a developer, or have more questions about commercial real estate, Wendy invites you to connect, to see how she can utilize her expertise and team to help create value and maximize your real estate goals.

Simon Chan

Managing Broker
simon@claridgeadvisors.com

Simon is the managing broker of Claridge Real Estate Advisors Inc. His expertise has helped our agents resolve many difficulties. Not only is Simon knowledgeable with real estate legislation, but he is also very detail orientated. With Simon on our team, our agents are confident to conduct businesses and will always get the support they need to ensure they’re not walking on dirty water.

Frank Zhou

Analyst
frank@claridgeadvisors.com

As the analyst of the company, my key job is to help brokers to find marketable clients and locate feasible development sites by collecting and analyzing up-to-date market transaction data and conducting target market and property-level research. Meanwhile, I am also in charge of maintaining the company’s property database to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness and continuously upgrading the level of knowledge by staying up to date with hot topics, and market trends, and incorporating findings into everyday work. Before joining the company, I worked for CR Group as a real estate investment manager, focusing on capital raising, equity and debt financing, acquisition and renovation. I hold 2 master’s degrees, one in Housing Management and the other in Economics.

0%