Coming soon: Ontario prepares to ease restaurant limits

Small businesses want this change ‘immediately’: spokesperson

TORONTO — Ontario will soon announce a plan for further reopening, including ending capacity limits in restaurants and gyms, a senior government source said Thursday, but the province’s top doctor suggested the rules themselves won’t be loosened quickly.

The source, who wasn’t authorized to speak about the pending announcement publicly, said the province will release a plan late next week that will “contemplate when capacity limits can be lifted.”

The province paused plans in mid-August to exit Step 3 of its reopening framework as fourth-wave cases were rising. Now, daily COVID-19 case counts are stable, more than 87 per cent of eligible Ontarians have received at least one dose of a vaccine and proof of vaccination is required to access several venues, including restaurants, cinemas and event spaces.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said he will be providing his advice to government next week, but he will want to see the effects of the recent Thanksgiving long weekend, over seven to 14 days, before more public health restrictions are removed.

“We will not be doing this suddenly,” said Dr. Kieran Moore. “This will be slow, gradual and cautious.”

Premier Doug Ford is set to provide an update Friday on Ontario’s vaccine certificate QR code and app, which the government previously announced would be in effect Oct. 22.

Business groups have been expressing frustration and anger since the government announced late last week that it was lifting capacity limits for some settings that require patrons to be fully vaccinated, but not others.

Cinemas, theatres, concert venues, meeting and event spaces, and spectator sports venues were allowed to open with 100 per cent capacity as of Saturday, and physical distancing mostly isn’t required.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce said they didn’t understand why capacity limits could be lifted on those large venues, but not at small businesses such as restaurants and fitness studios.

The CFIB said small business owners were wondering why the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators can pack in fans at full capacity, while a bowling alley can’t open more than half of its lanes.

Julie Kwiecinski, the CFIB’s Ontario director of provincial affairs, said it’s good to hear there will be a plan for lifting capacity restrictions in places that have been mandated to only admit fully vaccinated Ontarians.

“CFIB is counting on the Ontario government to make this change immediately, and not add additional delays or thresholds,” she said in a statement Thursday.