Exercise caution, kindness as mandates end

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This article was published 01/03/2022 (1664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While the province-wide proof-of-vaccination order has been lifted, some businesses are asking customers to continue respecting the rules at their own establishments.

As of Tuesday, Manitobans are no longer required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in most public settings, but individual businesses can still ask to see vaccine passports if they want.

Scrapping the vaccine passport will make it easier for staff to serve customers quickly and efficiently, said Andrea King, manager of Forbidden Flavours specialty coffee and ice cream shop. Anyone wishing to linger inside the 18th Street business will no longer have to show proof of vaccination.

She welcomes the change as a business manager, adding this will allow workers to serve customers faster.

“For us having to check certificates and identification was taking extra time. We don’t have a lot of staff, and that slowed things down, long lineups and things like that,” she said. “That being said, most of the people that come here we see on a regular basis, so there were no problems.”

Management has posted a notice reminding people of house rules for the time being, including maintaining a physical distance, staying at one’s table as much as possible, not stopping to chat with people at other tables, sanitizing hands and keeping a mask on.

As of March 15, masks will no longer be required for indoor public spaces, although that may vary between individual settings. King said they are weighing their options but can’t say for sure what they will do.

Many Brandon businesses that needed to check for proof of vaccination are dropping the requirement, said Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Barry Cooper. The important part of this is that businesses are allowed to manage their own proof of vaccine requirements and eventually their own COVID safety protocols.

“We are going to see a broad array of requirements from our city’s businesses going forward,” he said. “We’ve asked for a long time [from the province] for the ability to make these decisions.”

Businesses have taken a pounding for the past couple of years, Cooper said, and none of them want to upset their customer base.

For example, he went for lunch on Tuesday at a local restaurant that did not ask for his vaccine certificate, but they were still careful about distancing and respectful of masking while maintaining a friendly atmosphere. The other aspect is most of the population is now double-vaccinated, lowering the chances of someone becoming severely ill from the virus.

“The odds are good if you are sitting in a restaurant, you will [likely] be sitting next to someone who is vaccinated anyway,” he said.

However, he said he can see most establishments keeping the physical barriers up for some time, as well as many staff still wearing masks out of the interest of public safety. Cooper encourages people to be patient and respect each other’s personal safety choices during this adjustment period.

Even as the province-wide vaccine passport requirement ends, doctors are still asking the public to be safe. The risk is diminishing, but everyone still has to be cautious, said Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba.

While hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are falling, hospitals are still dealing with capacity issues caused by COVID-related backlogs.

No one wants to see a return to mandates, but he cautioned people to hang on to their certificates for safe keeping.

“Don’t throw out your cards,” he said at a conference on Tuesday. “There is still an ongoing risk. We are trending in the right direction, but we need to be aware of ongoing risks. I really hope there isn’t another wave. I want this to be over, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

That being said, he added he was proud of all the work Manitobans have done over the pandemic to slow the spread of the virus and protect each other and the health-care system.

Now that mandates are turning to guidelines, Doctors Manitoba is releasing NewCOVIDNormal.ca to help Manitobans understand the current risks, who is more vulnerable, and what everyone can do to help. The link includes the current provincial threat level and tips to protect oneself from infection and an infection calculator from Harvard University to help people determine their risks.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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