Shopping centres, hair salons prepare to reopen as Toronto enters Stage 2

Jun 23, 2020 | COVID-19, News

H&M clothing store at the Eaton Centre on April 6, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, is one out of many shopping centres that can now reopen as part Ontario’s stage two plan. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)
Rachael Dyal

Ontario gave the green light for shopping centres, hair salons and a few other services in Toronto and the Peel Region to reopen Wednesday.

Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that Stage 2 of the economic recovery plan could finally commence in Toronto, as long as people continued to social-distance and take extra safety precautions.

But despite the announcement, one esthetician is still unsure about when she can start working, and what safety measures staff will have to follow.

“We haven’t heard anything, but they’re supposed to let us know on Wednesday about what’s going on and when we’re opening,” Soheila Parvin, an esthetician at Debaradinis Hair Salon located in Fairview Mall in North York, said.

She said despite being unsure when she’ll start work, there are a few safety protocols she’d like to see implemented at her work place.

“Definitely I would want my boss to provide us with hand-sanitizer, masks and face shields, for sure…and also spacing out my services, so I have time in-between to sanitize my tools and my station,” she said.

Parvin said she would like clients who arrive without a mask to be provided one at the door.

Michelle Joubert, a medical aesthetician at Body Bar Toronto at 130 King Street West, said staff at their beauty parlour still need to go over safety procedures before reopening their doors.

“We just got the green-light to actually open this week, June 25, so protocol training will start to take place tomorrow. This way we’ll be prepared to go back to the industry,” Joubert said.

Although Joubert has not received training yet, her employer told her staff will be provided with and were asked to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) uniforms before working on clients.

“I’m going to be wearing a face-mask and I’m also going to have shield over my face as well too, so that way in case someone does cough on me the shield will protect me,” she said.

In an e-mail, Cadillac Fairview Media Communications liaison Lara Banlaoi stated there is a set guidelines the company will follow as their shopping centres reopen.

The release outlines that mall hours be altered, and there may also be a limit on shoppers allowed to enter the mall to ensure social-distancing.

Toronto is just one out of the many places in the world to begin Stage 2. Below is a timeline of countries and cities that have already reached Stage 2 and their outcome.