Hamilton officials are starting to talk about how the city can reopen facilities and provide services as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to trend downward.

But Mayor Fred Eisenberger said any easing of restrictions should be conducted “very carefully” with the safety of the public in mind and taking the advice of public health officials.

Eisenberger said a motion will be discussed at the April 29 council meeting to create a mayor’s task force on economic recovery.

“We formally want to create a task force, including leadership from our broader community, to start looking at what does recovery look like,” said Eisenberger on April 24. “We want to do as much as we can as quickly as we can.”

But Eisenberger cautioned that Hamilton remains “quite a way” from providing full services. He said what was “normal” three months ago will be very different now as the community adjusts to a virus that will remain within the environment.

“It’s not going back to what it was as long as the virus exists,” said Eisenberger. “There are going to be restrictions of some sort. We will be able to relax some.”

As of April 25, Hamilton has a total number of 369 coronavirus cases, with 186 cases resolved. There have been 17 deaths.

Hamilton will continue to keep its city-owned facilities closed at least until May 25. The province’s state of emergency order remains in place until mid-May, and schools are scheduled to remain closed until the first week of May. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, however, has not yet ruled out ending the school year.

In Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are introducing plans to gradually reopen their economy and services starting early in May. In the United States a number of states are slowly easing restrictions, including opening beaches and businesses, while in Europe different countries are moving to ease restrictions in varying degrees.

Saskatchewan’s first phase of a five-point plan includes reopening medical services such as optometry, podiatry and occupational therapy. Also being rolled out is the resumption of low-risk outdoor activities, such as fishing, boat launches and golf courses. But physical distancing rules will remain in place.