KINGSTON -- As businesses and customers celebrate the lifting of the stay-at-home order in Kingston, politicians are asking those living outside the region to stay away during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kingston was one of only three health regions allowed to reopen at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. It transitioned into the “Green Zone,” which is the provinces least restrictive level in the COVID-19 re-opening framework.
That meant stores and malls could begin to offer in-person shopping, gyms and malls could welcome customers and guests; and restaurants could offer in-door dining, with safety protocols in place.
Morrison’s restaurant has been a staple on King Street for nearly a century. Owner Mike Argiris said the best part of reopening on Wednesday was seeing his customers again.
“It feels very, very good to get the doors open,” Argiris said in an interview with CTV News Ottawa. “To get some people there, they really want to come, sit down, have a nice meal.”
Like all non-essential businesses in the province, Argiris spent the lockdown providing curb-side pick up.
“The 46 days we were closed felt weird,” he said. “It feels great to see some people here. Another human being, you know?”
Customers at Morrison’s said they were glad to be back enjoying breakfast inside.
“It feels like a bit of normalcy,” said Jean Marc Desjardins. “The first thing I wanted to do is go to Cuba. This is probably the second thing.”
As of Wednesday, there is only one person in hospital with COVID-19 in Kingston. Across the region, there are only 15 active cases.
Throughout the pandemic, many of the cases found in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health region have been linked to travel to and from areas with higher case counts.
On Tuesday, ahead of the COVID-19 restrictions being eased, city officials, including Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, asked people from other regions still under the stay-at-home order not to come to the region, unless it was for essential travel.
Public health said businesses could ask for ID from customers to prove their from the Kingston area.
Aba Mortley, who owns Cher-Mere Day Spa on Princess Street, said she won’t be going that far.
“We’re doing our due diligence, we’re doing our pre-screening and I think if we consistently follow the (COVID-19) protocol... then I feel comfortable being here in this space,” Mortley said.
Prince Edward County public health went further, threatening businesses with fines if they book people from regions that are still under stay-at-home orders.
Make Fountoukis, of Gus’s Family Restaurant in Picton, said he would be enforcing it.
“We’re going to try to keep an eye on who we know, and if it’s someone we don’t recognize we’re definitely going to have to ask.”
