Restaurants across the Maritimes prepare for drop of vaccine passports

Vaccine mandates end Monday across the Maritimes Some Maritime businesses say they feel relieved as all three provinces' vaccine mandates come to an end Monday. Laura Lyall reports.

Proof of vaccination will soon no longer be required in the Maritimes, with New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island lifting the requirement on Monday.

Luc Erjavec, vice-president of the Atlantic region for Restaurants Canada, says this is a relief for restaurants, especially after nearly two years of changing pandemic protocols, restrictions and requirements.

“It has been absolutely devastating. At one point our industry was essentially closed other than take-out and delivery, and we lost close to 70 percent of our employees,” says Erjavec.

“The [dropping of proof of vaccination] is just really, really good news for our industry and for the economy as a whole.”

The CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, John Wishart, says this is a day they have been waiting a long time for.

“Unfortunately, the proof of vaccination was applied to several sectors that were already the hardest hit due to the pandemic,” says Wishart, “like restaurants, tourism facilities, gyms, events venues – those sorts of places, so it was this extra layer these businesses had to face.”

However, getting customers feeling comfortable and confident going out again will likely not happen overnight.

“Talking to a number of consumers and retails, they think it will be a gradual return to feeling okay going to a restaurant or retail shop,” says Wishart, “especially after the mandatory order ends on March 14 and things like masks are no longer mandatory.”

Erjavec, meantime, says Public Health and government officials can help the industry by going a step further.

“For two years we’ve had Chief Medical Officers and premiers saying stay home, don’t socialize,” says Erjavec, “we now need those same people to say it’s okay to go out, it’s okay to hang out with your friends or your family and go to your favourite restaurant.”