As pandemic restrictions begin to ease, many business owners in Waterloo Region are excited to welcome back more customers.
Under step two of Ontario’s re-opening plan, which came into effect on Thursday, most capacity limits have been lifted. For the last seven weeks, restaurants, retailers, gyms and cinemas have been operating at 50 per cent capacity.
“We just can’t wait to have everybody out here,” said Adam Cole, manager of Kentucky Bourbon in Uptown Waterloo.
The owner of Princess Cinemas said the timing of restrictions easing couldn’t be better.
“It’s Oscar season and so all of the neat foreign language films are coming out and we're glad to have full capacity again,” John Tutt said.
Tutt said while he understands some people may not feel comfortable going to a place where there is not a limit on capacity, he is putting his trust in public health officials.
“Vaccinations, the two original ones and the boosters, they're protected, pretty much. That’s what the public health doctors are telling us,” he said.
Although capacity limits are lifting, Nick Anapolsky, owner of Polsky Strength and Conditioning said that won’t change COVID-19 protocols at his business.
“People are still wearing masks at all times, other than when they are in their square specifically working out, with their social distance," Anapolsky told CTV News. "People are still coming in sanitizing their hands, making sure everything is wiped down after every workout. None of that stuff has changed.”
He said he’s cautiously optimistic this will be the last time dealing with pandemic restrictions.
“Nightmare comes to mind, definitely a bad dream every time we've had to close our doors – obviously financially not great," he said. "But I mean we got through it and I think we got through it because of the community.”
