BARRIE, ONT. -- With hours to go before Simcoe Muskoka slides back into the red COVID restriction zone, business owners were getting ready for more freedom.

For Vasko Trajkovski, owner Wimpy's on Highway 89 in Alliston; it meant cleaning.

"We are completely sanitizing the whole store, doing some prep work for opening tomorrow," Trajkovski said Sunday.

He explained that being able to welcome some diners inside rather than sticking to takeout will make a difference.

"Every little bit helps. Ten people, even though it's not a big number, it will help quite a bit in recovering some of the losses".

"The Side Door Bar" in Barrie. His team is also getting set for the reopening on Monday.

There was cleaning and re-stocking at the Side Door Bar in Barrie Sunday. Owner Kent Smith has had to redraw his staff schedule.

"Everybody was scheduled and then cut, and now they've been all called back again. We went from a number of staff down to 10, down to two, and now tomorrow we'll go back up to 10".

Some business owners are choosing to take the move to red more slowly, waiting to hire staff back.