Toronto 
Did you plan a large Christmas party or plan to attend a new year’s eve party to welcome 2022 in Ontario?
Then you might be required to modify (or even cancel) those plans as the Ford government has announced new limits for indoor gatherings as new COVID-19 cases are rising steadily in the province.
Effective Sunday, December 19th, the province is reducing informal social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
If you have planned a party at a restaurant, then there is a 50 per cent capacity limit for restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments and strip clubs.
In addition, only 10 people are allowed at a table in a restaurant. Patrons are required to remain seated in restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments, meeting and event spaces and strip clubs.
The city of Ottawa has further limited seating to six people per table at restaurants.
Bars and restaurants, meeting and event spaces and strip clubs are required to close by 11 p.m, effectively cancelling all new year’s eve parties at those venues.
Other rules include the sale of alcohol restricted after 10 p.m. and consumption of alcohol in businesses or settings after 11 p.m.
Food and/or drink services are also prohibited at sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas, casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments, and horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues.
Announcing the restrictions, Premier Doug Ford said, “Throughout this entire pandemic, we’ve never faced an enemy like Omicron given how quickly it spreads. We need to do everything we can to slow its spread as we continue to dramatically ramp up capacity to get as many booster shots into arms as possible. Doing so is the best way to safeguard our hospital and intensive care units.”
To mitigate the rise of new cases, the government has expanded booster doses availability. Starting Monday, December 20, 2021, individuals aged 18 and over will be eligible to schedule their booster dose appointment.
The province has also launched a holiday testing blitz and is offering rapid antigen tests to individuals free of charge at pop-up sites across the province, as well as at select LCBO stores across Ontario.
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