Some B.C. businesses nervous, others excited about vaccine card rollout
Posted September 7, 2021 5:33 pm.
Last Updated September 7, 2021 7:25 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Business owners across the province are gearing up for next week’s rollout of the B.C. Vaccine Card, but some are more nervous than others.
Jennifer McCreath, owner Kelly O’Bryan’s in New Westminster, is one many in the province who are a little unsure about how this order will impact their business, especially since she feels the province has not been communicating effectively.
“We’re nervous about the impact on the community and what people are going to be feeling around this. We’re worried about losing a lot of business. We’re also still waiting,” she said. “We’re six days away from implementing this, and … We’ve been told to kind of hold on; they’re working on it. But the provincial government has given little or no direction to our organization. So it’s challenging for sure.”
Starting Sept. 13, people will be required to show they’ve had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to access some non-essential businesses and settings.
Businesses will have to download an app to scan the QR codes. A website and a phone line are also being set up to answer any questions, but with just a week to go, neither is up yet.
Staff will be checking if customers have been vaccinated either by scanning the QR code on a customer’s phone or physical card, or visually verifying their status.
READ MORE: What users, businesses need to know
However, having enough staff at the door to check people’s vaccine status may be a challenge.
“We’re gonna have to have a door person or hostess available at all times, a manager or somebody,” McCreath said. “It’s kind of hard to put it on your 16-year-old hostess, so more likely it’s going to be a manager that’s going to have to deal with it, especially to start, just till we get the hang of it and see what it’s look like.”
The restaurant owner adds it’s already been frustrating implementing the mask policy.
“We’ve dealt with it enough,” she said, adding she hopes people understand. “We are just doing what we are told to do right now. And we’re just trying to survive through this.”
The app businesses will require to scan vax pass QR codes will be available to download starting day one Sept 13th.
The province also promising support for businesses in the process.https://t.co/amE5j2lQem#bcpoli #covid19 @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/9p9pyoLzZr— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) September 7, 2021
Meantime, in Vancouver, Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea says her team is used to scanning movie tickets, so this shouldn’t be a big change.
“I’m very excited about the vaccination cards,” she said. “We feel like it’s the best way to move forward and keep the Rio open. When the majority of society is vaccinated, it only makes sense that we would want to make the majority of society feel safe and our venue. And I think the people who choose not to get vaccinated can choose to do other things.”
Lea says the Rio already has trained security working the front door, since they already have experience ejecting disruptive people or those who don’t follow the business policies.
“I’m pretty confident they know how to handle this kind of situation,” she said. “We’re not in a situation where we’ve got a teenager trying to enforce rules. These are professional security staff.”
It is possible that lines to get inside could slow down a little bit at the Rio, according to Lea, but she says she’s not overly concerned.
Lea, who is “100 per cent behind vaccination cards,” says she is hopeful the new order will put her customers’ minds at ease knowing people in the building are vaccinated.
“There’s no way that I want the Rio to have to shut down again. So this is the only way that I see we can avoid that,” she said. “It’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do. And I’m excited that the government is taking this step. Anything that brings down the risk, and brings up the fun, I am on board with that.”
Vaccine Card grace period will relieve businesses
Earlier this month, Quebec’s vaccine card came into effect.
The program is for fully vaccinated Quebecers and will allow them to participate in non-essential activities deemed moderate to high risk.
Martin Vezina with the Restaurant Association in Quebec explains the two-week grace period was a huge help when his province went through this.
While the Vaccine Card order begins Sept. 13, people will still be able to use the paper record issued at a vaccine clinic until Sept. 26. After Sept. 27, the B.C. Vaccine Card will only be an accepted form of proof.
Related Video:
One of the biggest issues business owners and staff faced was customers forgetting or taking some extra time to find their QR codes.
McCreath tells CityNews she worries this new order will put her restaurant in a tougher place as Kelly O’Bryan’s adapts and gets creative to stay afloat.
“I can see us being empty next week because people are ‘A’ confused about how it’s going to work. ‘B’ not vaccinated. Or, ‘C’ just don’t want to come out too soon after it starts. And so I think it’s gonna be really impactful on our business, unfortunately, for all my team, for everybody.
“Just another tough phase to go through. And we have pivoted, and we have been creative in this industry. And we will get through this as well.”
Lea adds she is looking forward to what the province has planned for businesses to deal with international tourists. Canada is welcoming back fully vaccinated international travellers who want to come here for non-essential reasons.
By Oct. 24, people will need to be fully vaccinated to go to places like the movies or restaurants.
Where you need to show your card:
- Indoor and outdoor restaurants with table service, pubs, bars, and lounges (not including fast food restaurants)
- Organized indoor events with 50 or more people – like weddings, parties, conferences, workshops, etc.
- Discretionary organized indoor group recreational classes and activities
- Indoor concerts, theatre, dace and symphony events
- Fitness centres, gyms, and indoor adult sports. Indoor group exercise activities are also included – youth recreational sport is not included
- Nightclubs, casinos, and movie theatres
- Indoor ticketed sporting events
– With files from Claire Fenton
