Date of publication: 17 Apr 2022 • 16 hours ago • 6 minutes reading Some fans wear masks and some do not during the London Knights vs. Guelph Storm match at the Budweiser Gardens in London on Sunday 10 April 2022. (Derek Ruttan / The London Free Press)
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Face masks, the most visible symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic in its first two years, have become a must in perhaps most indoor public spaces — even in the midst of the sixth wave of the virus — since Ontario lifted its mandate. of last month. This left a patchwork of cover-up and non-cover-up, with many Londoners not ready to give up yet. Health journalist Jennifer Biman has tested the effects in several locations.
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Staying safe
Kayla Gibbens, owner of Uber Cool Stuff on Dundas Street, appears in this 2021 archive photo. (Mike Hensen / The London Free Press) Do you remember the first days of the pandemic, when they distanced themselves at safe distances, covered customers lined up outside grocery stores and other stores with limited capacity? These days are long gone, but many marketers continue to err on the side of caution, keeping themselves and their staff covered for weeks after Ontario’s coverage requirement was lifted. Most customers stopping in central London Über Cool Stuff, a Dundas Street novelty store, still choose to wear face masks to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, said owner Kayla Gibbens. “It went better than I expected,” said Gibbens, who had concerns that could erupt between masked men and the unprotected. “Maybe one in 20 people is exposed. “I think a lot of people are still careful.”
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With COVID and other respiratory viruses circulating, Gibbens remains covered for the time being. “I do not get my health advice from politicians, I get it from the (public) health unit. “They say you should wear a mask,” he said. Ontario retailers and retailers, exposed to large groups of people in their stores for many hours each day, most of whom worked from home, were among the first Ontarians for whom coverage became critical during pandemic. When Ontario lifted the mask requirement for most indoor public spaces, Gibbens said she discussed the mask status with her staff, who will be wearing the mask in the near future. Lifting the province’s capacity limits for retail stores on March 14 has not made a huge difference for Über Cool Stuff, he said.
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She still ensures that things are not crowded in the store, but added that she is happy that she no longer needs to monitor the number of customers.
Passport for protection
Mark Serre owns Morrissey House on Dundas Street near the city center. (Mike Hensen / The London Free Press) Morrissey House, a popular Dundas Street restaurant and bar, was left with vaccine passports even when Ontario withdrew the vaccination proof requirement to enter such facilities on March 1st. The vast majority of customers have not noticed, said owner Mark Serre. “We understand the weird man wondering why we’re still doing it, but mostly in a funny way,” he said via email. “… Only a few people, from Toronto and Florida, … refused and left.” As for the masks, The Morrissey House is asking all staff to keep wearing them, he said. After two years of lockdown and other pandemic-related challenges, and with masks now optional for customers, he wants his staff as protected as possible.
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“As our staff is, we can not afford to have staff that needs five days of quarantine,” he said. The number of guests choosing to cover The Morrissey House has dropped from the near-universal mask when the term ended, Serre said. “I would think it’s less than a quarter now, but people know for sure that we are wearing them and they will ask if it is needed, if we would like it or they will do it automatically upon entry,” he said.
“Respect” without requirements
Adam Winkler is the owner of Wink’s Eatery in London. Appears on Wednesday 13 April 2022. (Derek Ruttan / The London Free Press) Richmond Row Wink’s bar and restaurant followed the county example and lifted vaccination proof and mandatory coverage requirements, said owner Adam Winkler. “This is a 50-50 split in customers who choose to wear a mask. During the day, we see more masks. “At night, we do not see too many,” said Winkler. “Everyone showed a lot of respect.”
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After two years of pandemic waves forcing restaurants to move from food-only food to package-only food, things are getting closer to normal before the pandemic, said one relieved Winkler. “The support for local shopping and food was amazing. “We had a lot of new customers coming,” he said. “They tested us when we were just in package and delivery, and now they show their faces inside.”
Happy with the hybrid approach
Some fans wear masks and some do not during the London Knights vs. Guelph Storm match at the Budweiser Gardens in London on Sunday 10 April 2022. (Derek Ruttan / The London Free Press) The Budweiser Gardens, home to London’s largest indoor crowd, follows a hybrid approach to masks and vaccination proofs, keeping up with the demands of performances or artists who request it. At events where no masks are required, including the London Knights hockey game, it is 50-50 between a masked and uncovered attendee, said Brian Ohl, general manager of the downtown arena.
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Early on, some expressed frustration that the downtown arena did not require vaccination proofs and masks for all events, Ohl said, but the vast majority of visitors follow relaxed rules. “I think people are just happy to be able to come back and see live entertainment again,” he said. “People who want to wear masks are, and people who do not want to, are not.” Ohl said he knows no tension between uncovered and covered patrons. At events where masks are not mandatory, it depends on the staff whether they will wear them or not, Ohl said. “I would say that 70 to 80 percent still wear masks, for staff that has to do with the public.” After two years of rolling lockdowns and attendance restrictions, the province is lifting capacity limits for large venues and sporting events on March 14th.
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“It’s nice to be full of people again,” Ohl said, adding that the atmosphere at the gates before a show was really positive. “People are happy to be back and we are happy to be back as well.” [email protected] Twitter.com/JenatLFPress
Face masks became mandatory in some parts of London, such as public transport, in the summer of 2020. In the autumn, wider provincial indoor mask orders followed. Ontario lifted the mask requirement for most indoor public facilities, including retailers, restaurants and schools, on March 21, leaving people wearing one or not. At the time, the county chief physician urged Ontarians to make their own risk assessment when deciding whether to continue wearing a mask. Ontario continues to require face masks on public transportation, health care facilities, and long-term care and nursing homes.
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Some buyers wear masks while others do not at White Oaks Mall in London on Wednesday 13 April 2022. (Derek Ruttan / The London Free Press)
Some institutions, including Western University, follow the rules for masks at least until the end of the school year. Others, including Ontario hospitals such as the Center for Health Sciences in London, have said they will stay under the guise “indefinitely”. The Middlesex-London Health Unit has urged residents to stay covered until late spring as COVID-19 continues to spread in the community. Although the number of COVID cases is on the rise, the area’s leading public health practitioner is not considering using his powers under the Health Protection and Promotion Act to make masks mandatory in London and Middlesex County. Ontario’s top doctor, Kieran Moore, strongly recommended on Monday that people continue to wear well-fitting, three-leaf masks indoors. Ontario is “actively considering” plans to remove the remaining mask orders at the end of the month.
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Sorry, but this video failed to load. Londoners have generally followed the pandemic restrictions, including the mandatory mask in public places, said the head of the city’s regulation. Statutory officials have issued 44 tickets and 204 warnings under the Ontario Reopening Act, which gives the Progressive Conservative government the legal authority to impose many pandemic restrictions by January 2021, said Kat . “Overall, the Londoners were very compliant with the provincial regulations,” he said in a statement. “From the regulations …
