Manitobans are no longer required to show proof of immunization to enter most public places.
While the public health order is no longer in place, some businesses said it was a difficult decision to make while others are choosing to keep the vaccine requirement.
Several businesses, including many restaurants, have said they will stop asking visitors if they’re fully vaccinated.
READ MORE: Manitoba moves to drop vaccine requirements, all COVID-19 restrictions by mid-March
“We obviously are in between different views, but we feel that if we continue to follow health restrictions, we will be in a good place,” Brazen Hall co-owner Kristofer Kopansky said.
Kopansky said the decision was made after speaking with his team who have dealt with a lot throughout the pandemic.
“We believe that this step needs to be taken not only just for our guests, but for our staff, just for mental health and just at least be a little glimmer of hope,” he said.”
The mandate has been in place since Sept. 3 as the province attempted to slow the impact the fourth wave was having on hospitalizations. But last month, health officials and the premier sped up the timeline to loosen restrictions.
But for many businesses the decision to no longer ask for proof of vaccination was a difficult one to make.
“There were sleepless nights leading up to it,” Fionn’s Grant Park owner Jay Kilgour said. “I struggled because we’ve gained a lot of clientele over the last two years based on their comfort level dining here.”
While Kilgour understands some customers may not feel comfortable dining in now that restrictions are lifted, he wants people to know they are still taking extra precautions for people’s safety.
“It seems like a dark day for a lot of people,” he said. (But) we’re still using chemicals that , we don’t have to… we’re choosing to because they’re better. We still have dividers between our boots. We’re still sanitizing every table before we seat another. We’ve still got every procedure we always had previous to vaccine eligibility.”
It’s been a difficult few years for those in the hospitality industry who have dealt with multiple lockdowns and closures and the removal of some mandates is welcome news for what the future will hold.
“We’ve been open and closed for two years. It’s been a tough struggle, of course, like a lot of people, and we’re just starting to get that energy again to get pumped up,” Kopansky said.
Many restaurants have said their staff faced harassment and threats from people who opposed the mandates and lifting them means they aren’t on the hook for enforcing the province’s rules.
“Just the thought of having somebody, you know, in their late teens, having to police people that are already feeling divided or emotionally opinionated. It’s hard on them,” Kopansky added.
His staff are relieved they no longer have to ask for cards or QR codes.
Individual businesses and public venues can still choose to ask visitors to show a card or QR code to prove they’ve had two shots of the vaccine.
READ MORE: COVID-19: Manitoba organizations keeping health mandates in place, despite rules loosening
Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard said many of its members are not making any definitive decisions right away.
“There will be some businesses that take a wait and see approach whereby they maintain the vaccine mandate for a while and get a sense as to where the public is with their comfort level and so forth and and make a transition maybe in a week or two towards normal vaccine mandate,” Remillard said.
Others are concerned they could face backlash if they continue to ask for proof of vaccination when the province no longer requires it.
“They are concerned about their staff, their public facing staff, having to deal with customers where an imposition of a vaccine mandate may cause some disturbances, some opportunities for potential escalation of violence,” he said.
But for businesses like Kilgour’s, he hopes dropping the vaccination mandate can once again bring everyone back together.
“To kind of take a step in that direction and that feels nice,” he said. “We’re in hospitality, so turning away people isn’t in our nature and it’s something we wrestle with a lot. So it’s nice to be able to welcome everybody.”
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