Are they getting it? Western University nightclubs, bars empty after outbreak, stern warnings
Usually teeming with students, London's popular Richmond Row was dead on Thursday night
After a few days of stern warnings from school administrators, public health health officials and politicians, Western University students stayed away from nightclubs and bars on Thursday night amid an outbreak among young people in London, Ont.
"I feel like a lot of what's came out in the last 12 hours has scared a lot of people from going out. (They're) kind of going back into their houses and probably waiting to see what's going to happen," said Christine Wolff, a manager at popular night spot Joe Kools for the past 10 years.
Bars such as Joe Kools on popular Richmond Row in downtown London are usually teeming with students and other young people on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, particularly in September when the city's post-secondary institutions are just ramping up and the weather is still warm.
CBC News wanted to check if Richmond Row and downtown bars were busy a day after Mayor London Ed Holder told students to stay home, lest they kill someone by spreading COVID-19, and the Middlesex London Health Unit put out a graphic showing just how quickly the virus spread.
What we found were usually bumping-dance floors empty, bouncers checking their phones, not IDs, and most places closed by midnight.
"It's pretty dead tonight. I've had some people stop by and ask if it's busy inside, and I tell them the truth, that it's pretty dead and no one wants to go into a bar that's dead," said Jake Styszinski, a bouncer at Molly Blooms. "Last week we were pretty busy, this week not so much."
Although temperatures were getting colder, Styszinski said he thinks the reality of COVID-19 is finally hitting home.
"Everyone is sharing posts about so many cases, how it's spread, and I think people are starting to realize that they shouldn't party as much or gather in big groups," he said. "No one wants to be inside, they want to be on the patio, and it's cold."
At Smokes Poutinerie, a popular after-bar snack place, orders by midnight are usually coming in non-stop, but not last night.
"I actually thought there'd be a lot of people out tonight because I've been hearing, you know, jokes and everything like that, but I guess not," said employee Mauryvi Metha, who was playing tic-tac-toe on napkins instead of dealing with hordes of students. "Last week, we were crazy busy."
