Regions in southeastern Ontario are on the list of those allowed to reopen under Stage 2 of the province’s pandemic recovery plan.
On Monday, the Ford government announced a regional approach to Stage 2 of reopening the province will begin on Friday, June 12, as many businesses have had to wait months to reopen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The wait will soon be over for certain businesses in the Kingston area including hair salons, restaurant patios, shopping malls and more.
“We’re feeling excited and nervous all at the same time,” says Steve Wallace, the co-owner of Luce Hair studio.
Luce hair studio is expected to open starting next week as staff are working to prepare for reopening their locations.
But Wallace says people can expect the salon experience to be very different. The owners are asking that clients wear masks at all times while in the salon. If they do not have a mask, Luce will provide them with one for a small fee.
Extra measures will be taken at the salon based on advice by the local medical officer of health, Kieran Moore.
“You’ll have to sign in with a client log. You also have to indicate that you have no symptoms and that you haven’t had symptoms in 14 days,” says Wallace.
Restaurant owners in Kingston are also gearing up for this phase of reopening.
“Any help like this is desperately needed, so we feel very strongly that this is a positive move,” says Troy Gadbois, a part-owner of the Duchess Pub and the Pilot House.
Gadbois says they are planning on opening the patio at the Duchess for this weekend. Though physical distancing protocols mean there will be a limited amount of people allowed to be seated on the patio.
“I think everyone’s looking for the social interaction even though it will be at a distance. I think that’s the biggest thing that everyone misses. Everyone will be really excited to get back to a new normal,” says Gadbois.
The Cataraqui centre also plans to open Friday, with additional cleaning and hand sanitizer stations within the centre.
According to a statement by general manager Susan St. Clair, the Cataraqui centre’s physical distancing measures will be put in place to ensure food retailers can serve food safely. However, they did not say which stores will open in the shopping centre.
The Ford government’s move to regional reopening is big win for Kingston, as mayor Bryan Paterson has been pushing for this for several weeks.
“So many businesses are struggling right now so to be able to see restaurants be able to offer outdoor dining… especially with the summer weather, being able to open pools, beaches and campgrounds, I think that’s important for people,” says Paterson.
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