On Sept. 13, residents of British Columbia will need a vaccine card to get into restaurants, clubs, ticketed sporting events and organized affairs like weddings,as the risk of infection is 10 times higher among those who are not immunized.
After Oct. 24, those aged 12 and up will need to be fully vaccinated at least seven days earlier, and only children below that age will be exempt from entering establishments if they are with adults who have been fully vaccinated.
Information has been scarce for business owners who need to prepare for this new restriction on entry to their establishments. One Smithers' business owner asked, "will we need a scanner, will it [proof of vaccination] be a printed card or do you need a phone to prove your vaccination?"
CICK News spoke with Moe Kafer, co-owner and general manager of The Roadhouse in Smithers about concerns for staff come Sept. 13.
"To be honest, I don't know [what to expect] come September 13th. I've been following the story in the news but there's been no real information from anyone with authority to tell us what to expect. We're kind of just waiting like we've done for all the other COVID announcements."
Kafer told CICK that her staff have already received verbal harassment from would-be patrons about wearing their masks to enter.
"Putting the onus on business owners who have already been through the ringer to police these passports is, I think, pretty rich", she said. Her business has already suffered a "staffing crisis", and this makes employment at a restaurant even less appealing, stating that she has "considered if we need to hire a bouncer".
Listen to Pam Haasen's full interview with Moe Kafer below: