The COVID-19 pandemic has proven time and time again that dining restrictions are subject to repeated and varied change.
Two weeks before Easter weekend, the situation has shifted again in several provinces.
Ontario
Ontario has announced it will now allow outdoor dining in grey-lockdown zones including Toronto and Peel Region, modifying some of its COVID-19 restrictions.
While those GTA cities will remain in the strictest “grey lockdown” category of Ontario’s colour-coded pandemic framework, restaurants in the two regions are being allowed to offer services outdoors.
In addition, food and drink establishments in regions in the second-strictest “red” category can increase their capacity to 50 people indoors, up from the previous limit of 10. That means that the likes of Ottawa, which moved into the red category from March 19, will not see its indoor dining limits cut from 50 to 10 people.
Finally, establishments in “orange” zones can now have 100 people indoors, up from 50.
Those changes to dining restrictions all came into effective on Saturday, March 20.
However, only people from the same household can sit at a table together, indoors or outdoors. The exception is people who live alone or caregivers, who can sit with one other household.
Toronto officials have confirmed the CaféTO program won’t be up and running until early May, although it is now open for applications.
Meanwhile, on Monday at 12:01 a.m., eight public health units in Ontario moved to new levels of the province’s colour-coded COVID-19 framework.
Red – Control
- Brant County Health Unit
- Chatham-Kent Public Health
- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
Orange – Restrict
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
Yellow – Protect
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health
- North Bay Parry Sound District
- Porcupine Health Unit
- Timiskaming Health Unit
Quebec
On March 8, the provincial government allowed restaurants in Quebec’s orange zones to reopen, as long as they abide by a series of government-stipulated rules, including mandatory reservations, the collection of patrons’ contact information, checking proof of residence to ensure diners aren’t traveling from riskier red zones, and limiting tables to household bubbles. Curfew in orange zones was also pushed back to 9:30 p.m.
In those zones, any number of adults living under the same roof can dine together.
However, the heads of the Corporation des Propriétaires de Bars, Brasseries et Tavernes du Québec (CPBBTQ) and the Union des Tenanciers de Bars du Québec (UTBQ) have written an open letter to Quebec Premier Francois Legault demanding the provincewide reopening of bars and restaurants on April 1.
CPBBTQ president Renaud Poulin and UTB president Peter Sergakis note that in Montreal, bars and restaurants have only been able to fully operate for roughly three months, or 25 per cent of the year, and that restaurants have not been largely responsible for major outbreaks.
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On Friday, Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services Christian Dube was asked if the rise in vaccinations is an indicator of when restaurants can finally resume dine-in service.
“There is no link with that,” he told reporters. “I think everything, any de-confinement measures that are being allowed by my public health, takes a number of the criteria or indicators into account. Sure vaccination is one but it’s not the only one.”
The letter to the government is also asking for financial assisting to the struggling industry and includes assurances restaurants would follow strict hygiene protocols to curb the spread of the virus.
Alberta
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced the province has moved forward into Step 2 of its Path-Forward framework and introduced updated health measures for retail, hotels, community halls and more.
Among the changes is that banquet halls, conference centres and hotels can now open for all activities permitted under Step 1 and Step 2, and hold virtual meetings/conferences/events, permitted performance activities, wedding ceremonies with up to 10 individuals and funeral services up to a maximum of 20 individuals.
These changes are an addition to the Step-2 measures that were put into effect on March 1. Moving forward, any decisions on Step 3 in the province are projected to be made on March 22 at the earliest.
Current provincial COVID-19 health restrictions include a limit of six people per table at a restaurant. Individuals must be from the same household — or, for people living alone, their two close contacts. In addition, contact information must be collected from one person at the dining party, liquor service must end at 10 p.m., and in-person dining has to stop by 11 p.m. No live music, VLTs, or pool tables are allowed.
Nova Scotia
As of Saturday, March 19, the remaining dining restrictions on the Halifax Regional Municipality and other designated areas were lifted.
That means restaurants and bars can now serve until 11 p.m. and must close at midnight, representing an extension of one hour in both cases.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick has also recently moved forward with its COVID-19 response, upgrading the entire province to the updated Yellow Level.
Under the updated response level, residents can expand their household bubbles from 10 to 15 outside contacts and these groups can socialize together, including dining out at restaurants.
Meanwhile, formal indoor gatherings are permitted with an operational plan in place, as long as the venue is at 50-per-cent capacity or less and physical distance can be maintained. Formal and informal outdoor gatherings of 50 people or fewer are allowed with physical distancing in place.
Manitoba
Manitoba’s current public health orders are set to expire on March 26. Under the current orders, people are only allowed to dine indoors at a restaurant or bar with members of their own household.
On outdoor patios, up to six people are allowed to gather, and they don’t have to be from the same household.
The province announced last week that it is considering shifting to the orange (restricted) level of Manitoba’s pandemic response system. It has been at the red (critical) level since November.
That means restaurants could potentially be allowed to seat people from the same household with designated visitors — either two individuals or one other household, per the public health order.
