(Submitted/Jeremy Markwart)

By Cam Lee

Businesses re-opening

Local business excited to fully re-open after COVID-19 closure

May 19, 2020 | 5:00 PM

A number of local businesses have re-opened after the launch of the second phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan.

That includes Assaly’s Diamond & Fine Jewellery Boutique in Melfort, which closed in the days following the provincial state of emergency declaration March 18.

Assaly’s owner Jeremy Markwart told northeastNOW they are excited to be back in business.

“We’ve been waiting for this day for quite a while now,” Markwart said. “To be open and have the door open to the public is super exciting.”

He said for the first month or so after the doors closed, there wasn’t a lot going on, but since then they have been trying to keep up with what’s going on in the industry, and finding out what’s happening within Canada.

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“Our suppliers are mostly from Ontario and Quebec which of course [aren’t] open, so it’s been challenging for sure,” Markwart said.

Many businesses, once re-opened, have had to make significant adjustments and changes to adhere to social distancing and other protocols. However, Markwart said customers are getting used to those protocols, using hand sanitizer and being cautious with touching merchandise.

“We have some different rules in place as far as touching jewellery and things like that,” Markwart said, but they have ways of disinfecting items. He said for the most part Assaly’s isn’t much different than it was before the pandemic.

According to Markwart, Assaly’s is a fairly large store and doesn’t see heavy foot traffic, so overcrowding isn’t generally an issue.

“We have a huge space here with a counter between us and the client at all times, so there’s not really an issue of people bumping into you or overcrowding,” Markwart said. There is currently a limit of three clients in the store at one time.

The hours at Assaly’s Diamond & Fine Jewellery Boutique have changed for the time being.

They are now open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed Sunday and Monday.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974