Ontario announces new restrictions affecting restaurants, bars, and food stores in response to Omicron COVID-19 variant
🕘 3 min read
On Friday, December 17, 2021, the Ontario government announced new measures and restrictions in response to the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
“To further strengthen its response to Omicron and reduce opportunities for close contact as the province gets as many vaccines into arms as possible,” Ontario is introducing a 50 per cent capacity limit for select indoor settings such as salons, gyms and movie theatres. The lengthy roster also includes restaurants, bars, and other food/drink businesses, retailers including grocery stores, malls, meeting and event spaces, tour and guide services, fairs and festivals.
Additional protective measures are also being applied to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant at select indoor settings including bars, restaurants and other food/drink establishments. These include:
Establishments must close by 11pm. Takeout and delivery permitted after 11pm.
Alcohol sales permitted until 10pm. Consumption of alcohol in businesses or settings permitted until 11pm.
Limit of 10 guests per table.
Guests must remain seated.
Singing and dancing permitted only by workers or performers.
Food and/or drink prohibited at select venues including indoor sporting events, concert venues, casinos, and movie theatres. bingo halls and other gaming establishments; and horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues.
These restrictions go into effect on 12:01am on Sunday, December 19, 2021.
“As the rapidly spreading Omicron variant becomes the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario, it is necessary to apply additional public health and workplace safety measures to reduce transmission, protect our health system and save lives,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “We all have a role to play in keeping ourselves, friends, families, neighbours and communities safe this holiday season. Please follow all public measures and get vaccinated with your first, second or booster dose if you have not done so already. Omicron will not take a holiday.”
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