Customers not yet flocking back to full capacity businesses
Non-essential businesses that can now operate at full capacity, aren’t necessarily seeing droves of customers coming back.
As of Monday, capacity restrictions have been lifted on casinos, restaurants, salons, gyms and other locations where proof of vaccination is required.
At Gateway Casinos in London, spokesperson Rob Mitchell tells CTV News, staff worked through the night to have the site ready. And judging by the number of cars in the parking lot it looked like a banner day.
But one customer who had been inside described it as “slow.” She chalked it up to less disposable income due to the pandemic.
“Money is tight and everything is more expensive,” she said. “The grocery stores. Everywhere. More money. More money.”
London’s mayor applauds the province for taking a cautious approach in lifting restrictions.
“From my standpoint, that means that these plans are also aspirational because if we don’t reach these targets, any decision to delay certain segments of our economy from opening up, I would say look no further than the unvaccinated.”
At King of the Pigs Restaurant on Hamilton Road in London, owner Rui Vieira uses his phone to check customers’ QR codes indicating their vaccine status. He said he’s glad to be back to full capacity for the first time since the pandemic began, but he knows pre-COVID level business won’t return overnight.
“It’s going to be an uphill battle again because people are going to have to get used to the full restaurant and having people beside them,” said Vieira. “Even though you have the vaccine, I think people will still be kind of a little bit scared to sit beside another person they don’t know.”
Places of worship are also allowed to have full capacity if they check for proof of vaccination. At Byron United Church in London, the pews are marked at two metres apart, maintaining about 30 per cent capacity. Reverend Dr. Gregory Brawn said the church will maintain that level for the time being.
“There are people that want to be here every Sunday, and they are, and feel comfortable because of the six foot distancing and mask,” he said. “And there are those that are not quite comfortable with that and haven’t been back yet but they’re looking forward to a time when they feel safe. And there are people who don’t feel comfortable wearing a mask for an hour, and so they’re waiting until they don’t have to wear a mask.”
Brawn said a decision whether to go to full capacity and check vaccination status will be made by the church’s elders in the next few weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.