Early Step 3 thrills Ottawa business owners but reaction mixed among health experts
Anticipation and excitement is growing in Ottawa with a move to Step 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan now less than a week away.
At the top of the list — indoor dining, which will resume for the first time in months.
“We’re extremely excited, this is the first time we get to showcase what we really meant to do in this room,” said Andres Quervo, Executive Chef of Apothecary.
While many restaurants will be reopening Friday, Apothecary in the ByWard Market will be welcoming people inside for the first time ever — having launched just weeks ago amid the pandemic.
“You walk around, you see all these amazing places gone; they haven’t been able to survive. Being able to build while we wait this out, it’s been great, and now we’re more excited than ever,” said Quervo.
Along with indoor dining, a move to Step 3 means larger gatherings indoors and out, gyms will reopen, movie theatres too, and retail stores will have no capacity limits.
The move to the last step of the province’s reopening plan comes five days ahead of schedule. And while for many it’s an encouraging sign, some experts say it’s too soon.
“Delta is not impressed with what we’re doing. It just stays there, at about 150 cases a day. We don’t want the delta (variant) to start to take off. Just stick to the plan, it’s about sticking to the plan, two-and-a-half to three weeks between steps,” Dr. Peter Juni, scientific director of Ontario’s science table, told CTV News Friday.
Still, others say with more than half of adults in the province fully immunized and case number remaining low, the move makes sense.
“When we look at the metrics that matter, hospitalizations and health-care capacity, pace of vaccination, and the burden of COVID-19 in the community, it’s fair to say we’re doing really well. We’re gradually moving from pandemic to endemic,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Infectious Diseases Physician and member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine task force.
As businesses across the city and province prepare for the slowest step toward normalcy since the start of the pandemic, there is hope this is the beginning of the end.
“I don’t think businesses owners have been this excited in a very long time. This is the hope that so many have been looking for. We’re definitely on the track to recovery, definitely on the track to bettering everybody’s lives as we go along,” said small business advocate Michael Wood.
Ontario is set to enter Step 3 at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 16. The province said we will remain in this step for at least 21 days. After that, vaccination coverage will determine when the remainder of restrictions will be eased.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.