Ontario to reduce COVID-19 restrictions starting Thursday

Yesterday, Ontario announced it will continue to reduce restrictions, with the next phase of lifting public health measures coming into effect Thursday, February 17, 2022.

Effective February 17, 2022, Ontario will ease public health measures, the following of which are impactful to our members, including:

• Capacity limits in other indoor public settings, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, retail and shopping malls, will be increased to the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance.

Removing capacity limits in the following indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to:

• Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities;
• Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms;
• Cinemas;
• Meeting and event spaces, including conference centres or convention centres;
• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments, and;
• Indoor areas of settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
• Increasing social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
• Increasing organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors.
• Allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity at sports arenas.
• Allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity for concert venues and theatre.

If public health and health system indicators continue to improve, Ontario has shared it will continue to ease public health measures on March 1, 2022, including lifting proof of vaccination requirements for all settings.

Note that there has no date set as of yet regarding the easing of other restrictions including masking.

For more information, contact Sebastian Prins, Director of Government Relations (Ontario) at sprins@retailcouncil.org.