Hamilton and most neighbouring regions are taking another step towards relative normalcy as they enter Stage 2 of reopening on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says he’s “very excited for a lot of companies, businesses and employees that have been anxious to get back to what they like to do.”
Stage 2 means personal care services, such as hair and beauty salons, tattoo studios and day spas, can open with proper health and safety protocols in place.
Bars and restaurants can also open for outdoor dining only, and Hamilton’s spray pads will be turned on and its beaches open for use.
Eisenberger says Hamilton is in this position because of the good work done by the city as a whole in keeping a lid on its number of coronavirus cases.
He reminds people that “the virus is still very much out there,” adding that “if we want to continue on with this gradual, cautious reopening,” physical separation is still very important to control the spread of the virus.
Hamilton Public Health reported just one new case of COVID-19 in Hamilton on Thursday.
The city’s total number of cases, to date, rises to 798, but only 61 of those are active and there are no current outbreaks.
It has also been 11 days since Hamilton’s 42nd and most recent death related to the virus.
The mayor says dozens of applications have been received for extensions to restaurant patios in Hamilton.
Eisenberger adds that about 20 of them are ready to go immediately throughout the city, from Waterdown to Stoney Creek.
One example is on King William Street, between James Street North and Hughson Street North, an area that will be closed to traffic each day from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., allowing 10 local restaurants to set up tables down the middle of the street.
Jason Cassis of Equal Parts Hospitality says each of the participating restaurants will get an additional 16 to 20 seats, adding that the project addresses their need for extra capacity.
With the limited outdoor patio space many of those businesses would have on a regular basis, “you can’t rehire a chef and rehire a manager and get lots of food going in your kitchen and staff up,” Cassis says.
He adds that his restaurant will be requiring reservations and placing time limits on its tables.
“If we can turn a table twice that’s great, but if we can turn a table three times, we’re probably profitable,” Cassis says, adding that that is key to getting people back to work.