ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The low hum of Caterpillar engines involved in ongoing construction on Water Street provided background noise as some businesses prepared to welcome customers into their stores for the first time in months.
Alert Level 3 in the province's public health pandemic response began Monday, allowing retail stores, restaurants and personal services like hair salons and tattoo parlours to open under certain guidelines, including limiting the number of people in a store to maintain social distancing.
Up from Clift’s-Baird’s Cove and in through the open door of Sooley Designs on Water Street, walked Madonna Redmond and her daughters, Ariel and Eva — all of them wearing masks.
Having just graduated high school, Eva ordered her dress months ago. Despite not having an official graduation ceremony to attend, the plan was to have a small gathering in the backyard of their home in Gander to celebrate the milestone.
Julia Pecore, seamstress with Sooley Designs, and general manager Erin Sooley were busy getting ready for customers, putting out masks and hand sanitizer at the front of the store.
Eva was to be fitted for her dress, something that required a much different protocol, according to Pecore.
“It is so intimate with people trying on clothes and handing them back because usually we alter it after they try it on,” Pecore said. “It’s kind of a new landscape having to take that back during COVID and do the alterations after. They’ve been in such close contact with it.”
Because of this, they’ll be steaming the clothes after they've been put on. And sanitizing the store has become top priority.
Up on Duckworth, near the National War Memorial, husband and wife and owners of Steam and Fog Cafe, Fabiola Acevedo and Alexander Dirago, were busy making sandwiches and coffee for their customers.
One of those customers was Alex O’Driscoll, manager of Jake’s Grooming Parlour across the street.
Dog groomers have been permitted to operate since May 25, and even then, customers were allowed to enter with their pets. However, O’Driscoll says they’ll only be allowing for pets to come inside.
“We’re accepting dogs from the door,” O’Driscoll says. “We take the dogs in, we groom them and then we take them back to the owner with mask and gloves on and they pay by EMT (electronic money transfer) or credit card over the phone.”
In between every client, the shop and equipment are completely disinfected.
O’Driscoll leaves the café with a bagged sandwich in hand, on his way to give his first client, Emily Rowe’s dog, Margot, a pedicure.
Acevedo disinfects the door handle before sitting down to tell The Telegram how they plan to operate for Level 3.
In a way, the new level hasn’t changed much for Steam and Fog Café, which Acevedo says opened as the first COVID-19 case was announced.
Located in the same building where Fixed Coffee and Baking operated until last year, there’s not a whole lot of space to work with regarding physical distancing.
And getting supplies has been difficult, with delays in delivery seemingly the norm.
“So, so difficult,” Acevedo said. “If you don’t find it here in St. John’s, it just takes forever.
“We ordered cups and lids two months ago and it arrived a week ago.”
They’ve been making do by purchasing from stores in the area. But without buying in bulk, the cost of operating is higher.
"The business community has been very engaged in this and they are eager... to be able to have a successful Level 3." — Dr. Janice Fitzgerald
For their opening, Acevedo, who is a trained chef originally from Mexico, wanted to make a traditional Mexican dish called chilaquiles. But with no dine-in option until now, they’ve had to make food that can travel well.
“We’ve been really having issues with that,” she said. “We really are sticking to sandwiches and soups. Even salads, they do travel well, but not as much. We’d really like to plate stuff, obviously.”
About three people could be seen digging through the records at Fred’s Records. Hand sanitizer was right inside the door and red tape was placed on the floor to direct the flow of customers.
During Monday’s COVID-19 briefing, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said, “These guidelines are not orders. Orders are enforceable.”
However, in response to an earlier question, she said the government has the ability to conduct inspections of businesses, if they were to receive a complaint.
“If there is a significant concern, if can be investigated,” Fitzgerald said. “(But) the business community has been very engaged in this and they are eager, as I’m sure many of you are, to be able to have a successful Level 3. So, they’ve been quite engaged and quite eager to do this safely.”
Fitzgerald said education would be provided and a business would have time to respond to a complaint, if one was made.
Twitter: @AndrewLWaterman
