Ontario Moves Up Re-Opening Dates

Article Published February 15, 2022
Article Source: Ontario Moves Up Re-Opening Dates - Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine

TORONTO — The Ontario government has moved up the province’s gradual re-opening dates, with the next phase of public-health measures being eased on Thursday.

Effective February 17, social-gathering limits will be increased to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors; organized public events will be increased to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors; and capacity limits in restaurants, bars, meeting and event spaces and other indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required will be lifted.

Effective March 1, capacity limits will be lifted in all remaining indoor public settings. Proof-of-vaccination requirements for all settings will also be lifted. However, businesses and other settings may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination. Mask mandates will remain, with plans to lift this measure to be announced at a later date.

“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave, we’re able fast track our re-opening plan,” said Premier Doug Ford in a press conference. “This is great news and a sign of just how far we’ve come together in our fight against the virus. While we aren’t out of the woods just yet, we’re moving in the right direction.”

“Thanks to the efforts of Ontarians to help blunt the transmission of Omicron, our health-care indicators suggest a general improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the province,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health in a press conference. “We are now in a position to lift more public-health measures, but it is important to stay vigilant, as we don’t want to cause any further disruption to people’s everyday lives. We must continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities by following the measures in place and by vaccinating those who have not yet received their doses.”