Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s announcement today on the easing of public health restrictions is being greeted with guarded optimism by local Brighton municipal and business leaders.
Ford announced an acceleration in the province’s reopening plan at Queen’s Park today, Feb. 14 as public health measures are eased over the next two weeks. Starting on Thursday, Feb. 17, indoor capacity limits will increase from 50 to 100 people indoors, and no capacity limits for outdoor settings. Capacity limits will be removed in a number of indoor public settings where proof of vaccinations exists, including bars and restaurants without dance facilities, gyms, cinemas and casinos, etc. Concert and sports venues will be allowed to run at half capacity.
On March 1, proof of vaccine mandates and indoor capacity limits will be completely lifted in Ontario, although businesses may choose to require proof of vaccination.
Ford noted in his press conference positivity rates have fallen and new admissions to hospital and ICU have been declining week over week, signalling the Omicron wave has peaked. He said over the coming days and weeks, those trends are expected to continue, allowing the province to safely accelerate its timelines.
“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave we are able to fast track our reopening plan,” said Premier Ford at the press conference. “This is great news and a sign of just how far we’ve come together in our fight against the virus. While we aren’t out of the woods just yet we are moving in the right direction.”
Mask mandates will remain in place, however, with a timeline for its lifting coming at a later date.
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander said March 1 will represent a good day for Brightonians and businesses in the area with the Omicron wave waning.
“I think the science is proving itself out. I think we’re an extremely vaccinated society (and) we’re pretty good at wearing our masks in public and trying to keep this virus at bay and at the end of the day I think it’s working. I’m pleased. I’ve thought for a while now it’s time to start migrating out of a pandemic to an endemic look at how we deal with this virus and I’m glad that that’s happened,” said Mayor Ostrander.
Mayor Ostrander says that even though COVID-19 restrictions and mandates will be lifted on March 1, it will still take a long time for area businesses to recover from the lockdowns and restrictions the pandemic has wrought.
“I think it’s a long road ahead for recovery from an economic standpoint especially for a small community like ours, but Brighton and our residents will be there to support our local businesses as much as we can. And my get-out-and-shop-local cheerleading won’t stop, I can assure you of that,” said Mayor Ostrander.
Bobbi Wright, president of the Brighton/Cramahe Chamber of Commerce, noted she’s glad to see the province moving forward instead of backwards with reopening plans. She said, however, that to have most public health measures lifted over the next two weeks is still somewhat shocking.
“My initial reaction is a little bit one of shock. For so long with all these different mandates, and capacity limits and restrictions we’re actually heading into a timeframe where anything goes. Overall for businesses it will be good thing for people to be able to walk into a business and not having to do a head count and back out,” said Wright.
“I just feel the last two years have been a constant battle of pivoting, shifting, it does feel odd that in two weeks to go from a 50 per cent capacity limit in my own store to ‘have at ‘er’. It’s a little bit shocking. I just hope they’re following the science and that this isn’t politically based.”
Moreover, Wright said she’s happy to see the mask mandate still intact for the moment, especially as it relates to the safety of the vulnerable within the community. She also believes a lot of people will be glad to see the end of the vaccine mandates.
“With the proof of vaccination, I think a lot of people will be glad to see that go.”
Wright is cautiously optimistic the easing of public health restrictions hasn’t been done too soon.
“I’m very much about following the science and protecting the ones that are most vulnerable and not leaping ahead for the sake of leaping ahead. Caution is warranted where this disease is concerned.”
She said she expects Brighton/Cramahe chamber members will have a range of emotions to the latest reopening plan by the government. She’s hoping it will lead to some sustained momentum and positivity in the future.
“I think it will be a mixed reaction. We have all kinds of business within the chamber and we’ve all been impacted in different ways. I’m sure it will be mixed feelings of being cautiously optimistic to sheer relief that we’re moving forward. Hopefully, this sets the tone going forward of unity that we can all move forward together and not just
some of us. We need some hope right now and we need some positively. There has been so much going on in these last few weeks that’s been so frustrating to watch and listen to and be bombarded with. I’m hoping that overall that it points us in the direction of some positivity.”
Even with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario, Wright said the Shop Local mindset will continue to be important to area businesses as they recover from the past two years of the pandemic.
“It’s been massive pain along multiple lines for so many businesses. And I know some of our businesses in our area are very much hurting. I’m really hoping that those that survive get a real influx of business in these communities in the coming weeks. And the whole Shop Local idea is going to be still so important going forward for so many businesses in our area. There is time to be made up for to keep employees employed and the economy going. Shopping local is very key going forward.”
