Customers at Canadian Tire in Prince Albert have become used to the painted wait lines outside the main entrance, but with colder weather coming there are plans afoot to make some changes. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

new COVID realities

P.A. businesses adapting to changing COVID landscape

Sep 11, 2020 | 8:00 AM

Prince Albert businesses are making moves to accommodate the change of season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the new reality of a return to school for children and the increased transmission risk that entails.

With school back in session that brings positives, along with potential negatives, and there’s also the cooling weather and changes to customer protocols to consider.

Front door changes

Canadian Tire owner Malcolm Jenkins and his staff have been on the leading edge of health protocols since March, both inside and outside the store. He’s rethinking how to keep customers moving, and warm, as they enter the store.

“We’re in the design phase of modifying the entrance where we’ll use heavy duty plastic sheets and hang them say, four feet out from the wall,” he explained to paNOW. “So, people can line up inside that and then do a U-turn at the end and come back, so they can keep out of any bad weather.”

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The return to school this week signals an important step in getting the economy moving again and having parents and caregivers free to resume their work schedules. However, the possibility of COVID outbreaks in the classroom is real and could impact employers and employees. When asked if there were any concerns about staff needing extended periods of time off work for potential COVID self-monitoring or quarantine, Jenkins said they have an excellent relationship with employees.

“If a kid’s at home with whooping cough [for example] then mom and dad take the time off to look after them; they’ve always done that. If it becomes a bigger thing [in future] then everyone will get extra overtime to cover it. We’ll deal with it as it pops up,” he said.

Modifying interiors

Devin Panchuk, the owner and franchisee at Montana’s BBQ and Bar, said he’s had the conversations with staff about possible periods of absence for parents of school-going children.

“Probably 20 per cent of our staff have that issue that if their kids have to leave school for some reason, we’d have to make that accommodation,” he said. “So, that’s why we’re keeping our staffing levels up just in case something does happen.”

Panchuk knows all about fluctuating staff levels. He was down to just seven people at the height of the outbreak but now is back to 45. Nearly all the staff who had to be laid off are now back on the job and he’s making changes inside to try to ensure it stays that way.

“We purchased a bunch of barriers to put between each table. We’ve made it so we use roughly 30 of our 36 tables, instead of 17,” he said. That puts them back to 100 per cent capacity and means waitlists have shortened and people don’t have to wait as long outside to get a table.

Flexibility of businesses

While schools are well prepared for combatting the threat of COVID-19 transmission, it is very much on the minds of businesses. They’re well aware of the possibility of employees needing to stop work to be at home if, as, and when there are episodes at school. Such circumstances could be a recurring theme through the fall and winter.

Everyone knows the care of young people is paramount _{– Steve McLellan, Sask Chamber}

Steve McLellan, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, told paNOW the vast majority of businesses are flexible and understanding.

“Those employees will be allowed to work remotely, or given some time off, or be allowed to use up some vacation time – whatever the case might be with that employer – but the bottom line is employers will be closely monitoring… but also ensuring their employees and their families are looked after.”

McLellan said everyone knows the care of young people is paramount, and “we all want a community and economy that considers that as critical.

“If somebody needs to take a week off to figure out what’s going on with a person in school with a positive COVID case, that’s minor compared to what we’ve been through the last six months with so many unknowns. We’ll get through it.”

Coughs, colds and staying home

Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab said Thursday, if an outbreak in a school is declared, it will be announced on the provincial government’s website. All the parents of that school will also be notified.

An outbreak does not necessarily mean the school will automatically close, nor does it mean there is a risk to others.

He added children will have to stay at home more often due to coughs and colds, which look a lot like COVID-19 symptoms. He said schools and employers will have to take that into account.

“Schools have said this time around, they’ll take into account the fact that children may have to stay home several times during the fall and winter because all of us, children especially, get coughs and colds,” Shahab said. “If you have a cough or cold, you should stay home until you are better, or if your COVID test is negative. That will happen more frequently.”

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow