Expect bylaw and public health inspectors on Waterloo region's patios this weekend

Bylaw officers and public health inspectors will be among those people hitting up patios in Waterloo region this weekend.

Bars and restaurants must follow strict guidelines from the province when having people on their patios, the region's CAO Mike Murray said Friday during a regular COVID-19 media briefing.

"There's been a really close working relationship between public health and some of the local BIAs [Business Improvement Areas] to make sure people are opening up in a safe way," Murray said.

He said he gives credit to business owners because they are taking reopening very seriously.

"They want to reopen, but they want to make sure they do it in a way that's safe for their staff and safe for their patrons," he said.

"I think we're going to see, over this weekend, a number of establishments open. We believe they're taking the guidelines seriously and there's going to be inspectors out inspecting and monitoring," Murray said.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, says there are approximately 300 businesses that had a patio pre-pandemic. Public health inspectors won't inspect each one before opening, but will look at bars and restaurants that have had trouble in the past or where there are complaints.

Regional Chair Karen Redman said on Friday it was just day one of Stage 2, and people need to remember if they don't follow the rules, the province could revert the region to Stage 1.

"Nobody wants businesses to open more than these businesses," Redman said. "I'm confident that the vast majority of people who want to sit on a patio and the vast majority of staff that are now called back to work are really glad to be back and will adhere to those guidelines."

More charges for public gatherings

Murray said in the past week, before the region was allowed to open for Stage 2 of the COVID-19 recovery, two more people were ticketed under the province's emergency orders.

The two people were both in Waterloo and the tickets were for having a group of five people or more at private residences.

This raises the number of people in the region ticketed under the emergency orders to 20. Other people have received tickets for having private gatherings of large groups, a hair salon that was open when it wasn't supposed to be and someone who refused to leave a basketball court when they were closed.

There were also 188 visits by bylaw officers or public health inspectors where there was a warning given or people were educated about the orders.

As of Friday, some of those rules have changed with the province now saying people can create personal circles and also attend gatherings up to 10 people.

Murray said it's important for people to remember there are still emergency orders in place from the province and enforcement of those orders will continue.