B.C. businesses hail end of mask mandate, but face long road to recovery

Businesses in British Columbia are hailing the province’s move to scrap COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates for customers, as they turn their eyes to the long road to economic recovery ahead.

B.C. health officials announced Thursday that the requirement to wear masks in indoor public places will be rescinded at 12:01 a.m. Friday, while vaccine passports will be eliminated on April 8.

“It can’t come soon enough for the struggling restaurant industry,” Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president Western Canada of Restaurants Canada told Global News.

Von Schellwitz said Canadian restaurants are still down about 14 per cent pre-COVID revenue, while bars are down close to 30 per cent.

He said anything the province can do to reduce barriers for customers will help.

“If some of them had a problem with masks, they’re now welcome back as of tomorrow. As far as the vaccine card process, if you have a mixed group, say there’s somebody that’s not vaccinated, we’re losing that whole group,” he said.

“We’re also looking forward to bringing our staff back in to that harmonious more fun relationship they had with their guests before, instead of having to police all these mandates.”

2:22 B.C. releases timeline for lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Annie Dormuth, provincial director for Western Canada with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the removal of the mandates was one half of the equation.

The other, she said, was a commitment from the government to provide certainty going forward for small businesses.

“Now we need stay-open plans from governments and really clear assurances, or clear guidelines on what would warrant any further restrictions,” Dormuth said.

“We are one step forward towards that.”

2:05 COVID-19: ‘I understand some of these changes will make people uncomfortable’: Dr. Bonnie Henry

Dormuth said only about 35 per cent of small businesses are back to normal sales, while a survey of members last month found the average B.C. small business was carrying about $200,000 in COVID-related debt.

She estimated most small businesses will take about two years to recover from restrictions.

“This government has balanced public health with keeping the economy as open as possible better than other provinces,” she said.

“Of course, when you talk to the B.C. small business owner it has been quite devastating to their business, and as a comparison (to other provinces), they simply don’t look at that.”

With mask mandates dropping on Friday, both the business community and health officials are urging British Columbians to be tolerant with others, who may have different needs, risk tolerances or opinions about the issue.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade issued a statement noting that some businesses may need to keep mask requirements in place, adding, “it is critical that everyone exercises patience.”

That was the key message from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry as she announced the end of the mask mandate.

“While masks are no longer required or mandated under an order as of tomorrow, some people and some locations will continue to use masks personally or in their businesses, and that’s OK — we need to support that, we need to recognize we all have our own risks and our own vulnerabilities,” Henry said.

“We all have our own risk and we may not be aware of the risks of people around us, we need to be respectful about mask wearing, about people’s choices to keep their gatherings small or to stay outside rather than inside.”