DIEPPE, N.B. -- On Saturday, another case of COVID-19 was announced in Campbellton, New Brunswick. Amid the apparent outbreak, some businesses have decided to delay their reopening – while others worry they'll have to close again.
For weeks, Matt Bourque, owner of Dieppe-based gym, CrossFit YQM, has been planning to reopen. Bourque has been waiting to welcome members back since the province moved to the yellow level of its COVID-19 recovery plan on May 15.
"We've really made sure that our COVID standards are at, or above, what everybody is expecting of us," says Bourque, who is concerned he might have to wait even longer to reopen following the announcement of a new COVID-19 case in N.B.
The new case, which is under investigation, involves an individual between the ages of 70 and 79 in the Campbellton region – also known as Zone 5. All nine of the province's active cases are in Zone 5, and health officials say they expect the outbreak to spread to the rest of the province.
If COVID-19 does spread throughout N.B., Bourque would like the province to re-evaluate what it considers an essential service.
"We help people be as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally," says Bourque. "During this time, it has never been more important to be healthy physically and mentally."
While some business owners have had to delay their reopening, others who were allowed to reopen have their concerns.
"Number one, is a client coming in that has possibly been in Campbellton – we don't want to be the spread of more COVID-19," says SOHO Beauty Bar co-owner, Theresa Lirette. "Two, we will be shut down again."
And being shut down could potentially mean unrecoverable financial ruin for some businesses.
"These past eleven weeks have not been easy for us," says SOHO Beauty Bar hairstylist, Monica St-Onge. "As a new business, who has only been open for a year, financially, it would be very stressful."
N.B.'s latest case of COVID-19 is still under investigation. Three people remain hospitalized, while no one is in intensive care.
Meanwhile, gym owners, like Bourque, say they would be open to government inspections to prove they meet safety guidelines and protocols instituted by the province.