Ontario further reducing capacity, gathering limits as of Sunday

Ontario announced further capacity restrictions and social gathering limits on Friday to combat surging COVID-19 cases across the province.

The Ford government is implementing a 50 per cent capacity limit to most indoor settings (see below), excluding businesses used for weddings, funerals and religious services.

The province also announced reduced indoor social gathering limits from 25 to 10 and reduced outdoor social gathering limits from 100 to 25.

The measures will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19.

“Nothing will stop the spread of Omicron, it’s just too transmissible,” said Premier Doug Ford, speaking from Queen’s Park alongside Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“What we can do, and what we are doing, is slowing it as much as possible. In order to protect our hospitals from being overwhelmed, we need to implement further public health measures. We need to do everything we can to slow its spread as we continue to dramatically ramp up capacity to get as many booster shots into arms as possible.”

The new measures will limit the hours of operations for bars and restaurants to 11 p.m., they will be permitted to remain open for takeout. The sale of alcohol will be restricted after 10 p.m. and consumption of alcohol in businesses after 11 p.m.

There will also be a maximum of 10 people per table at indoor dining settings and all patrons will be required to remain seated.

Food and drink services will be prohibited at sporting events, concert venues, theaters, casinos and race tracks.

Dancing will be prohibited for patrons at bars and nightclubs, but establishments with indoor dance facilities will be allowed to open solely as food and drink establishments.

Indoor settings reduced to 50 per cent capacity

• Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments and strip clubs
• Personal care services
• Personal physical fitness trainers
• Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)
• Shopping malls
• Non-spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (e.g. gyms)
• Indoor recreational amenities
• Indoor clubhouses at outdoor recreational amenities
• Tour and guide services
• Photography studios and services
• Marinas and boating clubs.

Businesses will be required to post signs that outline the capacity permitted on the premise.

The premier met with his cabinet on Friday to discuss the additional health measures. The cabinet meeting and subsequent announcement came only two days after the Ford government announced renewed capacity limits at large indoor settings and rapidly accelerated COVID-19 third dose eligibility.

“This is moving rapidly,” said Ford, when asked why the latest restrictions weren’t considered in the announcement on Wednesday. “There could be further changes.”

Opposition leader Andrea Horwath says the new measures are coming too late and will still allow thousands of people to gather at sporting events or concerts in large venues.

“I support capacity limits — which should have been done days ago — but it’s not the end of the changes we need to make to help people get through this wave,” said Horwath in a statement.” Allowing 10,000 people to go to a game, and putting people who attend faith-based events at a higher risk than anyone else, is wrong,”

The province has seen a further surge in infections in recent days, with a day-to-day increase of more than 600 cases in the previous two days. The rolling seven-day average has double since Dec. 6 and now sits at 1,914, the highest weekly average in the province since late May.

Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table called for “circuit breaker” measures and revealed Thursday that daily cases could reach 10,000 by January if contacts are not cut by 50 per cent.

While hospitalizations and ICU admissions have remained relatively steady, the table says ICU occupancy will surpass 600 by the end of the month of no further measures are taken. The panel says by implementing an immediate circuit breaker that number could be cut in half.

“While our intensive care units remain stable, we expect the number of admissions to grow,” said Ford. “We will be exploring every option to provide more supports.”

Ontario reported 3,124 COVID-19 cases on Friday, the first time since May 9 cases have jumped over 3,000.

As of Dec. 18, 50 per cent capacity limits will be implemented at sports and entertainment venues with an indoor capacity of 1,000 people or more.

The province confirmed Wednesday that anyone 18 and older will be eligible for a booster as of Dec. 20 provided they are 84 days removed from their second dose.