Ontario orders restaurants and bars to stop indoor dining service

It’s déjà vu for folks in Ontario, as sweeping dining restrictions have once again been announced for the province as COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise.

In an announcement on Monday morning, provincial officials laid out sweeping measures for Ontarians, including significant orders for the food and beverage sector.

Starting January 5, all restaurants, bars, and other food or drink establishments, including nightclubs and strip clubs, must abide by the following conditions:

• indoor service closed
• take out, drive-through and delivery allowed
• outdoor areas open with restrictions including, but not limited to:
  • no more than 10 people per table
  • patrons must remain seated
  • no dancing or singing
  • active screening
  • limited hours for the sale, service and consumption of liquor

The new restrictions will go into effect on January 5 at 12:01 am, and will be in place for at least 21 days, subject to trends in public health and health system indicators.

In addition to these requirements, restrictions around social gatherings, theatres, and schools were announced, among other things.

For a full overview of the restrictions, head here.

Ontario reported 13,578 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. This follows 16,714 infections found on Sunday and a record-breaking 18,445 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. According to data tweeted by Minister Elliot, there are currently 1,232 people hospitalized with the virus, including 248 in intensive care.