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New restrictions kicking in Sunday:

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From:

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca news.ontario.ca
 

Ontario cuts indoor gathering limits, restaurant hours as Omicron drives new COVID-19 infections​


From link.

It’s going to be a smaller, quieter Christmas season thanks to a Grinch named Omicron.

Starting Sunday, Ontario’s indoor social gathering limit will be cut from 25 people to 10 — and outdoors from 100 to 25 — with 50 per cent indoor capacity limits for all restaurants and bars, which will have to close at 11 p.m.
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All food and drink service at sports events, concerts, plays and cinemas will be prohibited due to the spread of the latest COVID-19 variant.

Premier Doug Ford made the grim yuletide announcement Friday afternoon at Queen’s Park

“Throughout this entire pandemic, we’ve never faced an enemy like Omicron, given how quickly it spreads,” said Ford.

“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,” he said.

To that end, there will be half-capacity limits at all retail outlets — including grocery stores and pharmacies — as well as shopping malls, and personal care services such as barbershops, hairdressers and nail salons.

Restaurants and bars will not be able to sell alcohol after 10 p.m. Patrons will have to remain seated and dancing will not be allowed.

“This was not an easy decision to make before the holidays, but the evidence is clear that further public health measures are required to slow the spread of Omicron and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

“As we expand booster eligibility and continue our Team Ontario effort to get as many shots into arms as possible, I am urging every single person to get their vaccine if they haven’t already done so, and sign up for their booster shot as soon as possible,” she said.

The new measures are in addition to 50 per cent capacity limits for arenas, stadiums, concert halls and other venues that hold more than 1,000 people and a ramped-up booster shot campaign announced Wednesday. It clears those 18 and older to get third shots starting Monday, providing they are at least 84 days past their second dose.

On Thursday, more than 156,000 vaccine doses were administered, with capacity increased to 200,000 to 300,000 in the days ahead.

Ford’s additional restrictions follow a Thursday plea from the science table for “circuit breaker” restrictions to blunt the surge of Omicron by limiting person-to-person contact. The strain spreads airborne more easily than previous variants, making it the most contagious variant yet.

Ontario reported 3,124 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. That’s the highest since early May, double the level of a week ago and almost triple the 1,053 recorded two weeks ago.

At this rate, the province’s single-day record of 4,812 new infections set April 16 will be topped within days amid concerns that increasingly high levels of infection could swamp hospital intensive care units in January.

However, hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients and intensive care unit occupancy remain well within capacity for now, although hospitalizations have increased to 358 patients as of Friday from 309 on the same day last week.

There were 157 patients with COVID-19 in intensive care Friday.

The science table has forecast cases could hit 10,000 daily before the end of the month absent additional measures and warned action needs to be taken quickly because Omicron is doubling every two days.

In the meantime, health experts have called on Ontarians to step up their masking habits by wearing snug-fitting masks with at least two layers that eliminate gaps. Simple, single-layer cloth masks are not recommended.
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Anything that reduces contacts at this point is helpful, but considering the curve, I doubt restaurants and bars will still be open in a couple of weeks.
 
My employer has suspended mandatory office attendance as of Wednesday, until further notice. This was exactly what I expected to happen when they chased us back to the office in October.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Two week Christmas break, and no where to go, except stay home. (Maybe snow covered hills.)
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Same, this was my last day until January 4; I suppose I could say to a couple of clients, hi! my holiday plans went to shit, anything you want to send my way? 😂
 
W. K. Lis said:
Two week Christmas break, and no where to go, except stay home. (Maybe snow covered hills.)
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One can dream. Blue mountain looking pretty green right now though.

Biggest takeaway from this for me is not serving food and drink at sporting venues. This should've always been the case, might have made a considerable difference if everyone had to wear their mask the whole time.
 
Ontario could have used Canada Post to deliver the COVID-19 test kits, instead of using the LCBO. However, that means cooperating with the feds, and Doug Ford can't do that.

If Canada Post could deliver flyers, they could deliver the COVID-19 test kits.
 
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W. K. Lis said:
Ontario could have used Canada Post to deliver the COVID-19 test kits, instead of using the LCBO. However, that means cooperating with the feds, and Doug Ford can't do that.

If Canada Post could deliver flyers, they could deliver the COVID-19 test kits.
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Frim the sounds of it that is what the Feds wanted to do.
 
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