Starting Jan. 31, Ontario restaurants will be permitted to reopen for indoor dining at 50 per cent capacity.
The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford on Jan. 20. Since Jan. 5, indoor dining has been banned in the province of Ontario in an attempt to curb the spread of new Omicron cases.
Despite the freezing temperatures, outdoor dining is still permitted, and many restaurants and bars are offering heated patios in an attempt to draw in more revenue. The remaining restaurants throughout the province have been operating on take-out and delivery models, however, many have struggled, and some have permanently closed as a result of financial troubles brought on by the restrictions.
On Thursday, the province reported 7,757 new COVID-19 cases, an 35% increase from the 5,744 cases recorded in the previous report, and 75 new deaths (a 27% increase from the 59 deaths reported yesterday).
Health Minister Christine Elliott reported that 4,061 people were hospitalized with COVID-19—55% were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 45% were admitted for other reasons but ended up testing positive for COVID-19.
Effective Feb. 21, capacity limits in places where proof of vaccination is required will be removed, including bars and restaurants, and by Mar. 14, these capacity limits will be eliminated in all indoor public settings.
In Ontario, 29,769,719 vaccine doses have been administered, with over 104,000 doses administered on Wednesday; 91.5% of Ontarians 12+ have one dose and 88.8% have two doses.
