THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is calling on the province to rethink its lockdown measures province-wide.
Led by chambers in Thunder Bay and Peterborough, they’ve provided the province with what they’re calling a responsible business protocol that would refine the current colour-code system, better defines operating protocols by sector and adds a community contact reduction framework they believe would better address community spread.
It would be up to the businesses to adhere to safety standards, which in turn would allow them to remain open.
The Ontario Chambers of Commerce have sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford with a dire warning in the face of looming bankruptcies, and supplier and bank delinquencies, caused by operating restrictions put in place by the province.
Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber, on Monday said new protocols are needed to ensure businesses can survive.
Thunder Bay has been in Grey-Lockdown for three weeks, with no end in sight. Some businesses, like gyms, movie theatres and personal-care services are completely closed, while restaurants are reduced to patio dining or take out only.
“COVID restrictions must be refined to support the long-term health of our community and the economic health of our businesses,” Robinson said in a statement released on Monday.
“This revised approach provides safe operating rules for each sector that will allow all businesses to remain operational while also implementing a community contact framework that reduces business capacity in response to regional virus spread.”
Rather than closing businesses, the plan would see the province reduce capacity based on the colour zone – 100 per cent for Green, 80 per cent for yellow, 60 per cent for Orange, 40 per cent for Red and 20 per cent for Grey.
Additionally, the framework would provide advice on operating guidelines that would allow restaurant, salon and gym owners and operators to protect staff and clients from COVID-19.
“Essentially the message to Ontarians is that these operating restrictions are about the community’s actions to reduce their own contacts rather than the current messaging, which unfairly closes or restricts trade for small businesses,” the letter reads.
