Manitoba businesses have mixed feelings over end of health restrictions: poll
Manitoba's proof of vaccination requirements are over.
Starting Tuesday, immunization cards and QR codes will no longer be mandatory to get into places like restaurants and entertainment venues.
However, a new poll shows that not all businesses will be getting on board right away.
WHAT BUSINESSES ARE DOING
Marc Amphavannasouk, owner and director of Awesome Hot Yoga, hopes more people will return to his studio now that proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required by the Province of Manitoba.
"We will no longer enforce them as well,” Amphavannasouk said in an interview on Monday.
“The province believes we are safe to move forward without them and hopefully more people will feel safe to come back."
According to new polling from the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, about half of businesses will follow suit.
The remaining businesses surveyed are split between keeping the policy in some way or they haven’t decided yet.
"It's not something businesses can typically do at the drop of a hat, and they are going to need a little bit of time to understand what their customers and consumers are looking forward to and how comfortable they are," said Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.
When broken down by sector, the polling shows retail, manufacturing, and hospitality are more ready to move on from checking vaccination status.
"It's never been safer to go out to a restaurant and I'm telling you there has never been a time where we need more people out there doing so,” said Shaun Jeffrey, executive director and CEO of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said getting people together that are at different risk levels may reverse the positive trends in Manitoba, and says she is concerned about the message it sends.
"Will people hear these kinds of messages and think the pandemic is over, COVID-19 is over and it's not a risk? That actually is not the case at all," she said.
Going forward at Awesome Hot Yoga, a two-metre distance between mats will be kept, hand sanitizer will still be provided, and clients will still wear masks at least until March 15th.
"I know people will still be cautious if they come back, last time we were pretty much safe, another variant came along, so we'll just have to see what happens," Amphavannasouk said.
The province is keeping the database and the code scanner for businesses that want to keep the vaccination policy in place.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.