'How are we going to pay our bills?' B.C. restrictions hitting local gyms and bars hard

A day after COVID-19 restrictions took effect on Monday, the province announced another round of measures on Tuesday in an effort to slow down the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The new restrictions, which include the closure of bars and nightclubs, will take effect on Thursday.

"It’s pretty heartbreaking," said Quincy Leachman, general manager of the Duke Saloon in Victoria.

The Duke Saloon reopened its doors in September. Recently it brought back live music and has been playing by the rules laid out by the province.

But now that their doors are closing once again, frustration is running high.

"A lot of the time we are the people who get targeted immediately," said Leachmen. "As soon as there needs to be a gesture to show that they are doing something to make a change."

Gyms, fitness studios and dance studios will also be shutdown until late January.

"It has been a very intense rollercoaster ride," said Katie Thacker, co-owner of the Third Space Movement gym in Victoria. "That’s the best way to explain it."

Third Space Movement opened up two weeks before COVID-19 hit and was almost immediately shutdown for two-and-a-half months.

After reopening, they had to close their group classes. Now, they are being forced to close altogether once again.

"It’s the financial aspect of it," said Thacker. "How are we going to pay our bills if we’re not able to run our business?"

Restaurants and pubs will remain open but table capacity is now capped at six people per table.

"We’re really pleased," said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the British Columbia Restaurant and Food Services Association

Tostenson says the restaurant industry came out fairly unscathed during this new round of restrictions.

"We’re getting a lot of reaction from people saying, 'You know what? I’m just happy that restaurants are open,'" said Tostenson. "If it’s six people, then I’m quite happy to do six people."

There will be no indoor organized gatherings of any size. That includes wedding receptions and celebratory events.

All seated events will be reduced to 50 per cent capacity, regardless of venue size. That includes concerts and live sports events.

With these new restrictions carrying on until Jan. 18, businesses that are most impacted by these new rules have their doubts that they will be lifted on that date, especially as Omicron continues to take hold in the island community.

"Maybe I’m getting cynical with the way the goal posts keep shifting on us but if I had to guess, I would say they’ll probably extend it a little bit further," said Leachman.