Indoor dining returns to regions across Ontario

🕒 6 min read

The emergency stay of home order has been lifted for 27 regions across Ontario. On February 16 at 12:01am, these areas move out of the provincewide shutdown, based on a number of factors such as “general improvement in trends of key indicators, including lower transmission of COVID-19.” 

Shutdown and stay-at-home orders remain in effect for Toronto Public Health, Peel Public Health, York Region Public Health, and North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit until at least February 22, while three regions moved into the Green zone on February 10: Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Health Unit; and Renfrew County and District Health Unit. 

The five zones of public health measures outlined in the “revised and strengthened” COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe And Open are as follows:

1. Green-Prevent
2. Yellow-Protect
3. Orange-Restrict
4. Red-Control
5. Grey-Lockdown

Here’s a quick overview of what’s permitted for restaurants, bars, and food and drink establishments in each zone:

GREY ZONE

‘Lockdown’ includes maximum measures, as indoor and outdoor dining are prohibited:

-Take out, drive through, and delivery, including alcohol. 

*New to Grey-Lockdown as of February 2021:
In person shopping permitted for all retail, subject to capacity limits of:
- 50% for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores
- 25% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores.

RED ZONE

Businesses in ‘Control’ areas will see stringent measures in effect, with the ease of some restrictions:

- 10 guests may be seated indoors, with two metres minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables
- Limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Contact information required for all customers
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- Establishments must be closed from 10pm to 5am
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 am to 9pm
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10pm to 9am
- Night clubs and strip clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar. 

Not permitted: Buffets, dancing, singing, and live music.

ORANGE ZONE 

Things really open up for those in the ‘Restrict’ including capacity limits and entertainment possibilities. In addition to the restrictions above:

- Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained: 50 patrons seated indoors
- Dancing, singing and performing music is permitted, with restrictions
- Karaoke permitted, with restrictions (including no private rooms)
- Limit volume of music (to be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation).

YELLOW ZONE

Those in the ‘Protect’ territory see more people seated at the same table and longer hours allowed for drinking and dining than those in the Orange Zone:

- Limit of 6 people may be seated together
- Establishments must be closed from 12am to 5am
- Liquor sold or served only between 9am to 11pm
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 12am to 9am
- Night clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar.

GREEN ZONE

The ‘Prevent’ region introduces only a few new measures from the previous, including:

- Require contact information for one patron per seated party.

For the complete list of measures, see Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework.

One item that remains off-limits for establishments no matter what zone they’re in? Buffets.

After returning to the Framework, public health regions will stay in their zone for at least two weeks “at which time, the government will assess the impact of public health and workplace safety measures to determine if the region should stay where they are or be moved to a different level. Public health regions will move up through the levels, if necessary, based on the set indicators and thresholds outlined in the Framework.”

Recognizing the risk posed by new variants to the province's pandemic response, Ontario is introducing an "emergency brake" to “allow the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, to immediately advise moving a region into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission. Local medical officers of health also have the ability to issue Section 22 orders under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, to target specific transmission risks in the community.”

As the majority of the province transitions to a new zone in the government’s colour-coded framework, and residents in places such as Oshawa, Pickering, Burlington, and Oakville are able to dine inside restaurants again, the public is still advised to stay at home and continue to follow health and safety protocols. Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health said, "While the trends in public health indicators are heading in the right direction, we still have work to do. Everyone is strongly advised to continue staying at home, avoid social gatherings, only travel between regions for essential purposes, and limit close contacts to your household or those you live with."  

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Stay tuned for more COVID-19 News and Updates.

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