Ontario Is Cutting Down Its Gathering Limits & It'll Likely Affect Your Holiday Plans

Well, it's official, the Ontario government just announced it is putting down stricter COVID-19 public health measures, and it could throw a wrench to your holiday gatherings this year.

Due to growing concerns about the highly transmissible Omicron variant and the rise of cases within the province, the Ontario government announced on December 17 that it will be putting down more measures, including social gathering limits.

As of December 19 at 12:01 a.m., informal social gatherings are going to get cut down to 10 people indoors, and 25 people outdoors. Before, up to 25 guests were allowed to hang out inside and up to 100 people outdoors.

"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," Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Christine Elliott, said in the announcement.

Earlier this week, Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released its epidemiological projections if the provincial government did not make any changes to its public health measures.

Among the recommendations were asking Ontarians to be more choosy with who they see on a regular basis and cut their contacts down by half. The advisory table also recommended boosting its COVID-19 vaccine rollout to get to 250,000 third doses each day.

Earlier this week, the Ontario government unveiled its updated plans for Ontarians looking to book their booster doses, and starting December 20, all residents 18 years old and older will be able to schedule appointments.