Full list of Ontario COVID-19 restrictions for starting Jan. 5
The Ontario government announced more COVID-19 restrictions on Monday due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, saying the province will return to a modified Step 2 of the reopening plan.
Premier Doug Ford announced the new measures during a news conference as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and case counts increased across the province.
CTV News Toronto has compiled a list of all the new restrictions, which will come into effect on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
GATHERING LIMITS SLASHED
- Social gathering limits will be reduced to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
- Capacity will be limited at organized public events to five people indoors.
- Businesses and organizations will need to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
REDUCED CAPACITY LIMITS
- Capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies will be limited to 50 per cent capacity of a particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance.Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits.
- Retail settings, including shopping malls, will be permitted at 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls, physical distancing will be required in line-ups and food courts will be required to close.
- Personal care services will be permitted to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Saunas, steam rooms, and oxygen bars will be closed.
- Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity.
CLOSURES
- Indoor meeting and event spaces are required to close with limited exceptions, but outdoor spaces can remain open with restrictions.
- Indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will no longer be permited. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted.
- Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas will be closed, but rehearsals and recorded performances are permitted with restrictions.
- 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 will all close. Outdoor establishments will be permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity.
- Indoor horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues will close. Outdoor establishments will be permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity. Boat tours will be permitted at 50 per cent capacity.
- Indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms, will be closed, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sport leagues. Outdoor facilities will be permitted to operate but with the number of spectators not to exceed 50 per cent occupancy and other requirements.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
- All publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations.
- School buildings would be permitted to open for child care operations and to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely.
SURGERIES
- On Jan. 5, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will reinstate Directive 2 for hospitals and regulated health professionals, instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures in order to "preserve critical care and human resource capacity."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Case against ex-Mountie charged with helping China can go ahead in Quebec, judge says
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer charged with helping China conduct foreign interference can go ahead in the province.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.