MILTON, ONT. -- The buzz of electric razors and conversation sounds like a little bit of normal inside a busy Milton barber shop on Tuesday morning.
"Getting a haircut after two months, I feel like amazing right now," Roy Sawa, a customer who is sitting in a chair, said.
Illusion hair studio on Main Street has been closed since lockdown began here on Boxing Day. Now that Milton is entering the red zone, barbers like Ahmed Al-Maqdadi can return to work.
"It feels good," he says. "I had a lot of lazy days, so I'm definitely happy to be more active and be part of the community and help out."
Next door at clothing store Peggy's of Milton, owner Joy Bennett says reopening is a must.
"I know businesses have to, I know there are some really decent businesses on this Main Street that are already gone," she says.
Across the street at the Ivy Arms, they are open for lunch. Owner Miriam Da Silva said, "we're just excited. We're just excited that we, we've been able, thank goodness, to still be here."
Restaurants are restricted to only 10 customers at a time, but this change has server Lynden Boudreau feeling, "Hopeful. Definitely hopeful.”
“We've all been cooped up for a while so it's time to get out and spread our wings a tiny bit," she said.
Some along Main Street, like Ken Leonard are concerned that lockdown is ending while variants are just starting to be discovered.
"I just kind of feel like with the variants rising and stuff it would be prudent to keep things locked down a bit more," he said.
Ruth Chandler said, "it's too soon with the variant that's going around, and it's highly transmissible."
Milton did add 19 COVID-19 cases Tuesday, and there are still 77 active cases – but mayor Gordon Krantz said he agrees with the decision to reopen.
"I think whole tonne of common sense has to be used, keeping our social distance and wearing a mask and all those things," he said.
Adding that if people adhere to the current restrictions, he thinks they will be safe.
