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NORTH BAY — Vic Fedeli said he was looking forward to today in another step toward normalcy again.
The Nipissing MPP received his second COVID-19 vaccination on Saturday and today he will be getting his hair cut for the first time in 2021.
Fedeli is feeling a lot of positivity in the region as it prepares to move into Stage Two of reopening on June 30.
"It has been a real turnaround," Fedeli said prior to his vaccination on Saturday afternoon.
"We saw that in step one the restaurants were able to open for patios. albeit a smaller percentage.
"This next round beginning on Wednesday, patios will be able to have seating for six, we will see the malls opening," he added.
"That will be a very big change to have the malls open and we will see a larger percentage of retail so we are starting to see the business community gearing up for it."
While Fedeli has praised the local vaccination rollout, he encourages more local businesses to look into acquiring free rapid COVID-19 test kits.
"They can go to Ontario.ca and receive free testing kits. It is all voluntary for their employees," said Fedeli.
"They don't have to report the statistics to the Health Unit It is for their own peace of mind, their employees' peace of mind."
According to the province, "Rapid antigen testing is an additional screening method that can help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep workplaces open. Organizations can test on-site and get results in about 15 minutes without shipping to a lab."
Rapid antigen testing may be performed 2-3 times per week during the first 2 steps of Ontario's reopening plan. During step 3 of the reopening plan, rapid antigen testing may be performed 1-2 times per week.
