Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced new public health measures Monday, which include moving schools online, a ban on indoor dining, and capacity limits for businesses as the province struggles to contain the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
“As we continue with our provincial vaccine booster efforts, we must look at every option to slow the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Putting these targeted and time-limited measures in place will give us more opportunity to deliver vaccines to all Ontarians and ensure everyone has maximum protection against this virus.”
Highlights:
- All Ontario schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations.
- Indoor gathering now limited to 5 people
- Outdoor gathering allowed for a max of 10 people
- Businesses and organizations are required to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
- Capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies is now limited to 50 per cent capacity of the particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain 2 metres of physical distance.
- Retail settings, including shopping malls, permitted at 50 per cent capacity.
- Indoor dining closed for Restaurants, Bars and other food or drink establishments.
- Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted.
- Closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, rehearsals and recorded performances permitted with restrictions.
- Closing museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals.