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Customers still masking up at many B.C. businesses as provincial mask mandate eases

Phase three reopening plan saw change to mask rules, state of emergency declaration July 1
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Victoria food service businesses such as John鈥檚 Place restaurant are still seeing patrons wearing masks, despite the lifting of mandatory mask restrictions in B.C. as part of the phase three reopening plan. (Facebook/John鈥檚 Place)

B.C.鈥檚 small business owners felt a returning sense of normalcy over the weekend as B.C. moved into phase three of its pandemic reopening July 1, lifting the provincial mask mandate and government state of emergency declaration.

Lower daily case totals, declining hospitalizations and rising vaccination numbers are the reason for lifting restrictions on masks and other mandates.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very nice to see people without masks and it鈥檚 nice to see smiling faces,鈥 said Norman Cantin, manager at John鈥檚 Place, a popular family-run diner in Victoria. 鈥淚 was talking to some customers about it, though, and they said it鈥檚 really weird without masks 鈥 they almost feel exposed since we鈥檝e all been wearing masks for a year and a half.鈥

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Cantin said that awaiting the constant announcements and changes throughout the pandemic was stressful for them, but they鈥檙e seeing more positive trends and are hopeful things continue looking up through the summer and into the fall.

Will Sparling, owner of Victoria鈥檚 Moka House said he saw 95 per cent of customers still wearing their masks as they ordered their coffees and treats on July 1.

鈥淔rom a staff perspective, it was a much more relaxed day and we didn鈥檛 have to control the environment, the customers just kept following what was in place beforehand,鈥 he said, adding that people are behaving respectfully toward one another and observing their environment before taking off their masks.

Masks are no long provincially mandated indoors, but are still recommended for those who have not had their second COVID-19 vaccination dose. Businesses may still require customers to wear masks.

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