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Barrie’s mayor reacts as the province lifts more restrictions

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Barrie, ONT. -

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman is calling the province's plan to manage COVID-19 "great news."

The plan will see capacity restrictions lifted for settings where proof of vaccine is required to enter.

This includes restaurants, bars and gyms, which have been the hardest hit since the beginning of the pandemic.

"They've waited for this day a long time," says Jeff Lehman. "I think a lot of people were asking themselves, why can you have the 20,000 people at a hockey game, and you can't have full capacity in a restaurant."

According to Lehman, several restaurants across the city have told him it didn't make sense financially to operate under strict capacity limits to support their cost base.

"Any business that depends on the number of customers that you're able to put through, they need the capacity," says Lehman.

The changes come into effect starting Mon., Oct. 25 at 12:01 a.m.

It will see capacity limits and physical distancing measures also lifted for personal care services, such as barbershops, salons and tattoo parlours, and indoor amusement parks and museums just as long as they choose to require proof of vaccination.

Capacity is also expected to increase at city-run recreational and fitness centres, such as the Holly Community Centre and Allandale Arena.

While Lehman says the city did get a sense the announcement from the province was coming, he says the city-run centres may not be ready when the changes go into effect.

"They can't pivot on one day," he said. "It may not be Monday that all the changes are made, but I'm quite confident that we'll be able to adjust next week," he said. 

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