Restaurants and gyms in London, Ont., say they’re ready to reopen even further as reports emerge that the provincial government will announce plans to exit Step 3 of its COVID-19 reopening plan late next week.
Sources tell Global News the first phase of the plan will determine when capacity limits can be lifted for remaining venues already under a proof-of-vaccination policy that weren’t included in the latest round of eased restrictions.
Since Saturday, cinemas, theatres, spectator sports venues, concert venues, meeting and event spaces, horse racing and car racing tracks in Ontario have been allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity.
In a media briefing on Thursday, Dr. Chris Mackie, the medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) told reporters “we have heard no more than you have in the media about some restrictions being lifted potentially as early as next week.”
“There have been a number of restrictions loosened over the past few weeks, I think we’re a bit early to know exactly what impact that will have, and so it’s hard to say for sure what impact further loosening restrictions will have,” Mackie said.
“We have great vaccination rates, I would be much more comfortable if we had vaccine available to children (under 12), but I understand that the government is moving forward in this way and I feel like we will be able to handle it.”
When asked about potential spread in restaurants and gyms, two venues that are targeted in the potential upcoming lifting of restrictions, Mackie said they’ve seen a number of outbreaks locally with restaurants, but “less with gyms.”
The medical officer of health added that “we have yet to see significant spread of COVID in a place where there is a vaccine mandate in place.”
The owner of Richies Family Restaurant, Gus Economopoulos, tells Global News he hopes the rumours are true.
“If I can open further, I can put 60 more people in restaurant, so it’d be very nice and make a big difference,” said the owner of the north London eatery.
“I’ll probably be a couple of people short, but pretty well I’m ready for it, I just hope it happens, and my customers are pretty excited too.”
Rui Vieira, the owner of King of the Pigs on Hamilton Road, says “it’s about time” that restaurants get their turn.
“Basically, we have the capacity now of about 40 people … with the restrictions being lifted, we’d be able to go full capacity, which will be a total of 65 people,” Vieira said.
“That would help a lot, that would be much-needed revenue.”
The same excitement is being shared by local gyms, although the impact may not be as overt.
Alec Pinchin, who owns Fitness Forum in south London, says his main gym area, which is nearly 40,000 sq. ft., already has a high capacity limit due to its size.
If capacity limits are lifted, the real benefit for Fitness Forum will be seen elsewhere.
“What that’s going to allow us to do is put our older, more usual numbers into our group exercise classes where we’ve been restricted because typically, a class that might’ve had a great atmosphere with 20, 25 people in it has been reduced down to maybe 12 or 15,” Pinchin said.
For CrossFit London, a fitness facility in the city’s east end that provides small group training, the change would also be minimal.
“We’re fortunate to have a really nice, big space … my capacity at the current rule was 50 and we normally have a class of 10 or 12 people,” said owner and head coach Dave Henry.
Regardless, Henry says he’ll be happy for peers in his industry if capacity limits are lifted.
“The further and further we are away from any lockdowns is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.”
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