KITCHENER —
Waterloo Region will be joining the rest of Ontario in Step 2 of the province’s reopening plan, and many businesses have been busy getting ready.
Taline Kazazian says she doesn’t expect get much sleep Sunday night in anticipation of reopening her salon and spa on Monday.
“Honestly this is almost as good as winning the lottery,” the owner of Ku’r Salon & Spa said. “Even better at this point.”
The region will enter Step 2 at 12:01 a.m. on Monday and will allow personal care services to operate at 25 per cent capacity, with masks needed to be worn at all times.
“I called over 400 people [this weekend], and not one person said to me I’m sorry we went elsewhere,” said Kazazian. “My biggest worry was when Toronto opened up two weeks ago and we were still shut down that I was going to lose everyone.”
Greg Rogalla, the owner of Azure Aqua Spa, opened his business two months before the pandemic hit and has been on a roller coast during the ongoing closures.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “We certainly have a wait list and it will keep the esthetician’s bustling, we’ll be open seven days a week.”
As businesses are getting ready for the loosening restrictions on Monday, more might be coming on Friday when Waterloo Region enters Step 3 with the rest of the province.
For this to happen, regional officials say vaccination is key.
“We’re partnering with GRT again to set up a vaccine bus where we can make our vaccine more mobile and take it to people who need it,” said Vickie Murray of the Region of Waterloo. “Intake forms for businesses are being offered, clinics are trying to do more to reach out, more drive thru clinics will be offered too.”
The goal for the region is to get at least 80 per cent of residents fully vaccinated.
