For more than a year, the long, narrow restaurant and live music venue in the Glebe had Plexiglas dividers between each and every table, meant to help hinder the spread of COVID-19. Since the summer of 2020, “each table was its own sort of island,” says owner Michael Estabrooks.

As well, Irene’s separated its bartender from patrons with a 10-foot-by-six-foot sheet, while a 15-foot-by-six-foot sheet was placed in front of the stage at Irene’s to block the spray of any virus droplets from singers or horn players.

But this fall, the Plexiglas came down in phases. In late October, when the Ontario government did away with capacity limitations and physical distancing in most settings where proof of vaccination was required, dividers between tables disappeared. Last month, the other big Plexiglas sheets came down. “We erred on the side of caution,” says Estabrooks, adding that he relied on chats with Ottawa bylaw and enforcement officers when he removed the sheeting.

Read more...