Starting Friday, many businesses and services will be allowed to operate again as most regions of Ontario enter Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
This includes Barrie, Ont., which is overseen by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, where many municipal amenities and businesses will start to open late this week.
Starting Friday, hair salons, barbershops, tattoo and piercing services, restaurant and bar patios, and shopping malls will be able to reopen with restrictions. People will also be able to gather in groups of 10, up from the current limit of five.
On Saturday, the city will reopen beaches with no lifeguards, with the goal to have them present by early July.
In order to limit crowds at beaches, officials say waterfront parking lots will be reserved for Barrie residents only and that they must display a resident waterfront parking pass. The marina lot will also be temporarily reserved for marina patrons only.
Splash pads at Heritage Park and Lampman Lane Park will reopen June 20. Then, starting June 22, the city will accept permits for sports fields.
Seasonal washrooms will reopen in a phased approach, beginning with Centennial Park and Heritage Park next week.
The northbound lane of Lakeshore Drive in Barrie, from the Tiffin Boat Launch to Victoria Street, will reopen to vehicles Friday.
“Our staff members are working hard to reopen amenities and facilities as quickly as possible,” Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said in a statement.
“Part of the process is to rehire staff that had to be laid off due to the revenue shortages from the closures and to ensure we have proper guidelines in place.”
On Tuesday, Lehman told Global News that Barrie is ready to enter Phase 2 of Ontario’s reopening but that he’s concerned about visitors from the GTA, where many businesses will remain closed, travelling to the region.
“I think there’s some important preparation pieces that I’m hoping the province will assist with over the next three or four days,” Lehman said Tuesday.
“I would hope (the province) could offer a little bit by way of support to businesses, and for example, in terms of PPE (personal protective equipment), to make sure that they are supplied with what they need to keep their customers and employees safe.”
City officials are reminding residents to continue following public health guidelines by practising physical distancing and staying home when sick.