B.C. shops, restaurants welcome end of COVID mask, vaccine pass rules

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic strained the B.C. restaurant and retail industries, business owners and leaders are starting to feel a little relief after the province announced it will be lifting its mask mandate and use of vaccine cards.

According to the province, the decision to lift restrictions was made because COVID-19 cases dramatically fell in the last few weeks.

Starting Friday, masks will no longer be mandatory in most indoor environments. Meanwhile, beginning April 8, the B.C. vaccine card program will also be a thing of the past. People will no longer be required to access restaurants and other venues, while businesses can shift away from their COVID-19 safety plans.

Read More: B.C. mask mandate lifts Friday, vaccine passport ends April 8

Greg Wilson with the Retail Council says it is welcome news, but there is an element of concern for their customers and staff.

“Retail is about the best customer experience. So this will make a segment of customers happy and so for them, I guess we’re happy,” he said, though he notes some customers will be uncomfortable with shopping alongside maskless people.

“Our request of everybody is to be patient and kind with others. Some people are going to choose to continue to wear masks. And we’re hoping that we don’t have some negative experiences as a result of that.”

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Wilson predicts businesses will have to make their own decision of whether or not to remove masks in the workplace.

“A couple of the reasons that could create that situation are space, size, format of their space, or the other customers who are going. For example, a very small pharmacy might have limited space, and their clients could be vulnerable. So they could be concerned about the protection of that,” he explained.

Wilson points to a survey the council conducted that showed about five per cent of businesses said it would continue the mask mandate.

Restaurant owner to “welcome everyone back with open arms”

For restaurant owners Darragh McFeely and Justin Tisdall, they will be discussing what role mask-wearing will play at work.

McFeely is a partner of Alimentaria Mexicana, Chancho Tortilleria, and Nuba Lebanese and says his business will not be making any big decisions immediately.

“Many of our staff will still want to wear masks, and we certainly support … it is still a personal choice. So I think our staff will continue to wear masks for the time being, just to ensure our guests that we do have their safety close to heart,” he said.

Justin Tisdall, partner of Juke Fried Chicken, Chickadee Room, and Beatbox, echoed that wearing a mask will be up to staff.

In terms of the vaccine passports lift, McFeely says, “we will again welcome everyone back with open arms.”

“For our business, we’re not going to make any huge decisions immediately … when vaccine passports lift, we continue to make the assumption that the people making these decisions have public interest at heart as well,” he said.

Tisdall tells CityNews he was happy to hear about removing the vaccine passport because of the line it created at the door. While he acknowledges it was for public safety, “maybe we’re at the point of this pandemic where it’s not as bad as it once was.

“So I think everyone’s adapted and adjusted. And I think just naturally everyone’s adjusted their habits. So removing that passport just makes things a bit easier. And I still feel people will keep all those safety measures intact themselves in their own personal space,” Tisdall added.

With tourist season around the corner and with the return of cruise ships, Wilson says Thursday’s announcement is welcome news, especially for businesses in the downtown Vancouver area.

“Struggling retail businesses in the downtown core are looking forward to employees returning to the workplace so those things will help certain groups of small businesses,” Wilson added.