Ontario to allow indoor dining at 50% capacity by the end of the month
Ontario will permit restaurants to reopen at 50% capacity by the end of January as part of the province’s efforts to lift current restrictions.
Premier Doug Ford shared further details surrounding the fate of Ontario’s restaurants and other closures in an announcement on Thursday.
Effective January 31 at 12:01 am, the province will begin its gradual reopening, which is slated to continue through February and lead to a full reopening in March.
Limits will replace current closures, which means indoor dining will operate at 50% capacity. That includes bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities.
“The evidence tells us that the measures we put in place to blunt transmission of Omicron are working,” said Premier Doug Ford.
“We can be confident that the worst is behind us and that we are now in a position to cautiously and gradually ease public health measures. While February will continue to present its own challenges, given current trends, these are challenges we are confident we can manage.”
Restrictions have been in place since January 5, limiting restaurants only to offer takeout and delivery, as well as drive-thru if possible.
The same day the announcement had been made, Restaurants Canada called on the Ontario government to take action in support of the food industry.
They claimed that the new set of rules will “irreparably harm” the industry and that restaurants are not the problem.
Ontario will lift the next set of measures on February 21, 2022
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