With Manitoba seeing the number of COVID-19 cases increase over the last month, some businesses in Brandon are taking steps to keep their employees safe and stop the spread of the virus.
There were 27 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in Manitoba over the Terry Fox Day long weekend, bringing the total number of confirmed and presumed positive cases in the province to 442. On Saturday, there were two new cases of COVID-19, 18 new cases on Sunday and seven new cases on Monday.
Sunday’s total of 18 new cases was the largest single-day total of new cases since April 1, when 33 cases of the virus were discovered. It was also the fifth-highest single-day total of new cases since the pandemic started.
Because it was a long weekend, the provincial government only provided new case numbers but not any specific details such as the age of those diagnosed or what part of the province they live in.
However, there have been several businesses in Manitoba and Westman that have had to shut down due to the virus recently. Last week, Minnedosa’s Blazers Mini Mart and Asian Spices of Brandon closed temporarily after possible exposure to the virus was reported at both businesses by Manitoba Health.
The Winnipeg Free Press reported on Sunday that the Boston Pizza and Smitty’s locations in Steinbach have closed temporarily as a result of positive cases detected in employees. Steinbach Credit Union posted on Sunday evening that an employee tested positive for the virus and their branch was being deep cleaned in preparation for reopening today.
Because of the loosening of restrictions and the increase in cases, one Brandon restaurant has made the decision to voluntarily close its dining room.
Chilli Chutney on 34th Street posted on its Facebook page on Saturday that it is moving to takeout and delivery orders only to protect both staff and the public from the virus.
Speaking to the Sun on Monday, owner Laxman Negi said he was concerned about the virus possibly spreading from people travelling to Brandon from outside the province as well as a local increase in cases.
“Before, there were no people coming from outside of Manitoba,” he said. “Now we can see the different cars, people coming from outside. We are getting lots of deliveries from hotels to people coming to pick up and eat at the restaurant. There are some new cases in the Brandon area, so I thought ‘let’s wait for two weeks and see how it goes.’ We can’t really track where people are coming from.”
While his staff is following social distancing and other guidelines, it’s the unknown factor of people travelling through Brandon that he worries about not being able to control when it comes to health and safety. When it comes to customers wearing masks, he said that older people have been more likely to wear them.
In two weeks, Negi will decide if he feels safe enough to resume dine-in service. Of the 11 comments on the restaurant’s Facebook post, none criticized management for making the decision. Negi also isn’t worried about losing out on money from closing the dining room.
“We are getting enough support from our customers. Lots of delivery and takeout (orders). It doesn’t make a big difference, really.”
Other local businesses are also starting to change rules and procedures, but many of them belong to chains with North America-wide policies. A thread on the People of Brandon Facebook group has been started to catalogue local businesses that are requiring customers to wear a mask.
One of the businesses listed is Dollar Tree on Victoria Avenue. When a Sun reporter dropped by the dollar store on Monday, a sign was on the front door saying “no one may enter without a face covering.”
The COVID-19 page on Dollar Tree’s Canadian website, which hasn’t been updated since May 14, says that employees are required to wear masks but does not mention an official mask policy for customers.
An employee answering the phone at Spencer’s at Shoppers Mall said that while they can’t enforce the rule, they’ve been asking customers to wear masks in the store for approximately two weeks now.
Also at Shoppers Mall, an employee answering the phone at women’s clothing store Maurices said that the chain started mandating mask use in all stores in the chain as of Wednesday or Thursday last week. Another chain in the mall, Bath and Body Works, asks customers to wear masks in its locations in its list of frequently asked questions surrounding COVID-19.
» [email protected], with files from the Winnipeg Free Press
» Twitter: @ColinSlark
