Capacity limits for Ontario restaurants, gyms to end as soon as Monday: sources
Capacity limits on restaurants and gyms in Ontario could be lifted next Monday, as the Ford government considers new measures for establishments that require proof of vaccination certificates, sources say.
CTV News Toronto has learned that Premier Doug Ford met with this cabinet Thursday afternoon to also discuss when to dial back the mandatory masking policies in public settings. Multiple sources pointed to the spring as a potential timeframe to end the mandate, while others say the government intends to slowly pull back public health measures beginning in January.
The government is expected to officially announce the new measures on Friday, along with Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, who has to sign off on the new measures.
Among the considerations, sources say, is a proof of vaccination opt-in option for sectors of the economy that still have capacity limits. Museums for example, could maximize capacity as long they require guests be fully vaccinated.
Ontario has been operating in Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan for more than three months now, which has seen additional indoor services with larger numbers of people become available with restrictions in place. Capacity limits for some settings, including sporting and concert venues, were lifted by the government on Oct. 8, though gyms and restaurants were not included in the policy change—a move which industry leaders said was a disappointment.
Speaking to reporters last week, Premier Doug Ford said the government’s long-term COVID-19 reopening strategy would provide residents and businesses alike with clear guidelines and timelines for what to expect in the months ahead as the province continues to manage the spread of the virus.
He said the plan would also include details of “where and when” the government may need to reapply public health restrictions should they be required to stop a “surge in transmission.”
“The chief medical officer of health has been clear: the objective is to avoid further lockdowns and if additional measures are necessary, they will be localized, tailored and aimed at limiting disruption to businesses and families because this is not just a plan for the short term, but for the long term,” Ford said at the time.
Ontario’s COVID-19 situation has improved in recent months with the province logging fewer and fewer infections each day as vaccination rates inch higher and higher.
In fact, on Wednesday, the province reported 304 new infections, marking the lowest daily case total recorded since the beginning of August.
Friday’s expected announcement comes on the same day that Ontario’s enhanced COVID-19 vaccination QR code certificate goes into effect, which allows fully vaccinated individuals more streamlined access to non-essential settings.
The announcement will be streamed live on CTVNewsToronto.ca and the CTV News app.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel
It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.