Stage seven of the Island’s reconnection roadmap has allowed nightclubs to reopen, stand-up drinking to resume and has lifted the limit on attendances at large events.
The working from home guidance has also ended and it is no longer a legal requirement to wear a mask in indoor public places, except in ports and on public transport.
But an online JEP poll has indicated that many Islanders still plan to wear masks in shops.
Of the 2,009 people who voted, 972 (48%) said they will still wear face coverings in shops, while 1,037 (52%) said they would not.
A number of stores have also told the JEP that they are planning to encourage shoppers to wear face coverings even though it is no longer a legal requirement.
Meanwhile, some business owners say that ‘freedom day’ could lead to a late summer boom in revenue for the Island’s hospitality and events industries.
But others are facing staff shortages which have prevented them from fully reopening.
Marcus Calvani, owner of JB’s Brewhouse and The Lido, said businesses must ‘capitalise’ on what was left of the summer.
Mr Calvani said: ‘Everyone is super excited for this weekend. Freedom day could lead to a late summer boom in business for the hospitality and events industries. This summer has not been great and so it is crucial that we capitalise on the return to a sense of normality and make the most of what is left of summer.
‘I think a lot of people are going to try to make up for lost time. The event space at The Lido has become fully booked since freedom day was announced and we are seeing a lot of interest for autumn events. As for JB’s, we have seen so many requests for ping pong that I think we will see the next Olympic ping pong champion come from Jersey. The government’s financial support schemes have helped us to survive and now it is so important that businesses are strong and healthy as we enter 2022.’
Sean Murphy, who runs the Lamplighter pub, said that going out on a Friday night would no longer be a ‘military operation’.
‘It is a big added bonus that people can just pop in and have a pint on a Friday night without worrying about booking a table. I think it will have a good impact on the tills too. The whole town circuit will benefit massively from the restrictions being lifted.
‘More than 50% of our intake was previously made up of walk-ins and stand-up drinking so to get that back is great. It will be good to not have to turn people away. It became embarrassing turning locals away because there were no tables available,’ he said.
Jayson Perfect, group managing director of Liberation Group, said: ‘We are all excited about the fact that lockdown restrictions across Jersey [have been removed], allowing our guests to enjoy vertical drinking and ordering from the bar once again.
‘However, the wellbeing of our teams and guests is still of paramount importance so we will continue with many of the processes we’ve had in place throughout the pandemic to ensure their safety is at the forefront of everything we do.’
A spokesperson for the States police said: ‘With certain restrictions lifting this week, we have planned some extra patrols over the bank holiday weekend. We realise that a lot of people will want to take advantage of their new found freedom and our aim is to make sure everyone remains safe while enjoying their time out with friends.’
