'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.