Some B.C. restaurants prepare to welcome more dine-in patrons as COVID vaccine passport program ends

As the COVID-19 vaccine card program ends in B.C., restaurant owners say they are looking forward to welcoming back unvaccinated customers who haven't been allowed to dine in since health restrictions were imposed last year.

"The industry is happy to see it go," said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association. 

"In our view, the vaccination cards have served its purpose. We participated as an industry to encourage people to get vaccinated."

While proof of immunization will still be required in federally regulated places, like airplanes, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced on Tuesday that the province will move forward to lift COVID-19 vaccine passport requirements on April 8.

Amy Lashek, owner of Dolly's Fish Market in Prince Rupert, said the removal of the vaccine passport will make work life easier for her staff.

"A lot of patrons were rude or not accepting of the fact that we were checking for passes," Lashek told CBC News.

"We were hit hard with the vaccine passes and there were a lot of people that frequently came to our restaurant that were no longer allowed to come."

She said she's expecting sales to increase as more customers return to dining in. 

Daryl Leiski, a physician and owner of Crossroads Brewing and Distilling in Prince George, said he would like to continue using the vaccine passport program at least until the end of April.

"I think there will be a bit of an uptick in unvaccinated people getting the virus," said Leiski. "I think it's important to keep our patrons safe and to come to a place knowing that everybody is vaccinated in that place."

He said he will make a decision on whether he will continue to implement the mandate after discussing it with his staff.

"I might lose some patrons but I think for the community, I got to put my other hat on."

For people like Joanna Unger, who is immunocompromised, previously having the extra layer of protection was comforting, and it allowed her to enjoy dining out and going to the movie theatre again.

"Medically vulnerable [people] were a lot more limited so I'll probably pull back on things that I'm doing, I'll do more stuff outside and maybe less going in to restaurants," said Unger.