Vernon restaurants welcome end to vaccine passports

A Vernon restaurant group is looking forward to B.C. dropping its vaccine passport requirement Friday.

B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed at a Tuesday press conference that as of 12:01 a.m. April 8, vaccine cards will no longer be required for entry into restaurants, as well as other indoor spaces such as movie theatres, concerts and sporting venues.

“With this level of community immunity that we have now, we are in a position where we continue to make progress and removing some of the measures that are no longer necessary all the time. One of those is the B.C. vaccine card,” Henry said.

Shay Ritchot, manager of Wings Vernon, called it welcome news for all restaurants.

“The lifting of the mask requirements made us busier, we expect that the news of no passports and the arrival of spring going to cause all hospitality businesses to do very well. Vernon and the entire Okanagan is going to busy,” Ritchot said, adding that the Dahl Group of Companies — which also operates The Italian Kitchen, Top Choice Pizza and Vernon Catering and Hospitality — is opening a new location on Okanagan Lake: 1516 Pub and Grill.

“The summer will be crazy, and we are looking for team members at all locations,” he said.

Dahl Group vice president Katie Dahl said The Italian Kitchen downtown has been getting busier, and the phone is ringing off the hook at Vernon Catering for weddings and summer parties.