When COVID-19 first exploded across the world in March, there was a lot of speculation that normal life could be upwards of a year away. Thanks to the hard work of Saskatchewan healthcare workers, the citizens of this province and government officials taking the proper measures to get on the fast track to regular living.

The provincial government announced today further public openings set to take place beginning on Thursday, July 16. This next step will allow for rodeos, racetracks, and door-to-door solicitation to resume safely with physical distancing measures.

This is great news for the Estevan Motor Speedway. The racetrack was expected to be open by today, Sunday, July 5, but the government ended up electing against that decision. Their plan was to have a crowd of 150 in their 1500 person capacity facility but it was ruled a no-go last week.

The official opening for the track will now come on Saturday, July 18 as the first day of a weekend doubleheader. Byron Fitcher is the leader at the speedway, he is more than excited for things to get underway, even though last week's decision from the province came as a disappointment.

To be reopened much sooner, this Thursday, July 9 will be all casinos and bingo halls. A verdict on when the Bear Claw Casino and Hotel will reopen in White Bear is still unknown, but the information will be made available when it becomes available. These reopenings were announced on Saturday, July 4.

You can always find all COVID-19 related news from Saskatchewan right here on Discover Estevan.