With 26 new COVID cases in three days and eight different variants identified in the area so far, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health implemented new restrictions this week. QNet News file photo
By Rhythm Rathi
BELLEVILLE – Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s introduction of new restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has put some local businesses in a tough spot.
The new set of rules, were announced Monday and came into in effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. They include forbidding hotels and residents from accepting reservations from people outside Hastings and Prince Edward counties; shutting down Airbnb operations as well as bed-and-breakfast and cottage rentals; and limiting the number of people inside restaurants.
They were imposed as COVID cases began a steep jump in this area in recent days.
“Given the increasing concerns of COVID-19 variants, and the risks of potential spread of COVID-19 related to Easter celebrations, these measures are necessary to prevent illness and the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Dr. Piotr Oglaza, medical officer of health and chief executive officer at the health unit, said in announcing the restrictions Monday.
Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk told QNet News Tuesday. “The increase in cases in recent days has been troubling. I understand Dr. Oglaza’s decision to issue the (order), and I expect all of our residents and businesses to comply. We’ve got to be careful. We don’t want to be moving back down into a lockdown area, and I think these new regulations are wise to try to control the spread of COVID.”
Panciuk, who owns Boston Pizza at the Quinte Mall, said that as a business owner, “I think the whole issue of COVID, we’ve had to change rapidly throughout it and I am not surprised. We are complying with the new rules and I expect everyone else to – and if you cannot stay on top of changing rules, then perhaps you should reconsider whether you are open or not.”
He added: “We’ve got to protect not just our customers but also our staff ,and these are reasonable steps to do that.”
Panciuk said he wasn’t surprised at the short notice for the new restrictions.
“This is the reality wherein we have to respond quickly to issues like this,” he said. “And all of us have a responsibility to stay aware of them.”
The possibility of residents travelling over the long Easter weekend is a concern, Panciuk said.
“We’ve said you should not be gathering at Easter, just like we said you should not be gathering at St. Patrick’s Day and at Christmas,” he said.
“People from our region are travelling out and bringing back the virus. They’ve got to stop it. We are not done yet. People need to keep working hard.”
His advice to residents and businesses: “We have worked so hard and we have done so well, let’s not blow it now. Let’s keep working hard. It’s just a few more weeks for us to do this and then we will be in much better shape.”
Sarah Sparks, who owns a short-term accommodation business in Prince Edward County advertised through Airbnb, said the public-health order “came as a great surprise to us … and to many businesses.
“There was no notice. In the past we’ve had time to organize, reschedule and prepare our business for the changes. By having the announcement come out late in the day (Monday), effective that evening, it has left some of our guests stranded.”
To comply with the order and ensure the safety of her customers, Sparks decided to offer guests with two choices.
“We’ve made the decision to offer guests a chance to reschedule, whatever the reasons for their visit. Some of them were work-related, so we don’t know what they are going to do. Or we have offered, because we have no choice really, a full refund for their visits being cancelled.”
The business is her husband’s primary income, she said.
The previous such order, last spring, gave enough notice for them to prepare, Sparks said, but still accounted for a loss of over $35,000. This time, the couple lost $6,000 in just four hours.
“I do understand the need for it,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t support that – I do support keeping everybody safe and healthy. But logistically it’s a bit of a nightmare for us today.”
She advises local businesses, “Be very flexible and creative in how you pivot so that you are able to serve people that are local. For us, we will advertise to the hospitals … which is a different market than we normally target.” The new restrictions allow rentals to people travelling to this region for essential reasons, including working in health care or coming for medical appointments or medical emergencies.
“I have noticed in Belleville and Prince Edward County that a lot of the small businesses have been absolutely brilliant in their ability to pivot and still serve customers. I was so impressed,” Sparks added.
Sparks wasn’t the only business owner caught off-guard by the short notice.
Faye Tee, owner of the Feminink tattoo and piercing shop on Front Street, said the whole COVID situation “has just been an ongoing rescheduling nightmare.”
“It’s just so frustrating that last month I was allowed to work on anyone from a green zone, so I phoned all of my clients to make sure they live in a green zone, and now I am not allowed to work on those same clients that I just rescheduled again,” she told QNet on Tuesday.
“Now, I have literally spent most of my day today rescheduling those clients for like a third and a fourth time.”
She added, “It’s very difficult to run a business in a professional manner, where I look unprofessional for having to reschedule these people over and over and over.
“When the business owner has no idea what’s going on, it doesn’t look good on the business.”
A Facebook post by QNet News asking how local business owners have been affected by the restrictions drew a large response from people on both sides of the issue, though a majority indicated they support the health unit’s move.
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