B.C. restaurants ready to reopen and patrons hungry for dine in
June 2, 2021
Restaurants that have been subsisting on takeout and patio revenues after indoor dining was closed under COVID circuit-breaker restrictions six weeks ago are ready to reopen today, said an industry leader.
“We’ve told the industry that and our guidance is if you do open today to revert back to the protocols we had in place before, which was six people at a table [from the same household] and distancing guidelines,” said Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
“It’s important that we be cautious here, not to go open and go crazy, but open and wait for the premier to give us the next signal,” said Tostenson. Provincial health orders restricting indoor dining, adult group fitness classes, faith gatherings and travel outside of three zones in the province expired at midnight Monday.
The restaurant industry is looking for the green light today on exactly how to open, clarification on how many people to a table and whether they must be household contacts or safe contacts, and a plan for how fast restaurants might ramp-up to full capacity for indoor and outdoor dining.
“I think it’s going to take a while to do that but I think those are the three priorities,” said Tostenson.
Source: Vancouver is Awesome
