As restrictions set to lift, some Winnipeg restaurant owners happy for full dining rooms
Some restrictions end on Tuesday, others lift next month
Manitoba's relaxed public health restrictions are getting a warm reception from some Winnipeggers and restaurant owners.
Starting on Tuesday, there will be no more capacity limits, patrons will no longer need to show their proof of vaccination starting March 1, and indoor mask mandates will be lifted on March 15.
Yafa Cafe owner Rafe Abdullah is relieved his seats will soon be full.
"It's a wonderful, excellent decision to do it because we need it," he said.
Abdullah is concerned the rules won't stick if there's another surge of cases of COVID-19, like he's experienced in the past.
"I hope they will stick to it, not to come after two weeks or three weeks and say, 'We have another round of Omicron or another round of COVID-19 or another round of another virus,' because really … everybody's fed up from this. We need to go back to our normal life," he said.
Clay Oven line supervisor Alekh Sharma is also relieved, but says they've been in this position before and had hopes dashed.
"It has been tough. Now finally we'll be seeing the smiling faces, we'll be greeting the people. I hope these COVID restrictions will not come again. We hope for the best," he said.
Restaurant patrons have mixed reactions about the changes.
Chrystalle Omaga says she'll continue to wear her mask for her own safety, but she's glad that mandate is being lifted.
"I think that if the government likes to do that, that's great and that we actually have a choice to do it now," she said.
She's also glad vaccine cards won't be necessary at restaurants soon.
"Now that everybody can come together, families can still be gathering now in a nice environment, I think it's a great opportunity to finally see family," she said.
Bryan Selby says he doesn't have a strong opinion either way, but "wouldn't mind if they kept the restrictions in place" because hospitals are struggling.
"I'll wear my mask if I feel like wearing my mask and, you know, with my double vaccine and my booster, I'm feeling pretty good about life," he said.
Pam Poulter Friesen, who has worked as a nurse in Manitoba for nearly 40 years and was redeployed into the ICU three times during the pandemic, says she hopes everyone works to protect themselves and those around them from the virus.
"I think we've become conditioned to being extremely careful. In the past, people didn't think twice about going to work when they had a cold. Well, we've learned now, that's not really a good idea. I'm still going to wear a mask in the grocery store for probably a long time. I'm still going to be very cautious. I'm still not going to be in big, giant groups of people. I'm still going to wash my hands a lot," she said.
"We need to be on Team Manitoba and there's no 'I' in 'team.'"
