Restaurants, theatres and gyms in Ontario will reopen at 50% capacity at the end of January.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at a news conference, saying “The evidence tells us that the measures we put in place to blunt transmission of Omicron are working.”
As of January 31, Ontario will increase or maintain capacity limits at 50% in indoor public settings, including restaurants, bars, retailers, shopping malls, gyms and cinemas.
Sporting events, concert venues and theatres will be allowed to be filled at 50% seating capacity or 500 people, whichever is less. Social gathering limits will increase to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
Premier Ford said that “enhanced proof of vaccination, and other requirements would continue to apply in existing settings.”
The government plans to ease additional public health measures on February 21, which includes the removal of capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, such as restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities and cinemas.
On March 14, the province said it plans to lift capacity limits in all indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required.
The Ontario government had banned indoor dining and closed gyms in early January while temporarily moving schools to remote learning. Schools across the province reopened earlier this week.
