Ontario Is Slashing Capacity Limits Again & The Next Live Event You See Could Be Different
The new measures kick in on December 31.
The next Raptors' game you catch live or movie you watch at the theatre will look emptier than usual, as Ontario just made the call to cut its capacity limits amid concerns of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
In a press release posted on December 30, the Ontario government announced that starting on December 31 at 12:01 a.m., capacity limits will shrink at large indoor venues.
This means concert venues, theatres, and sports and recreational fitness facilities with designated seating areas will have their capacity limits cut down in half or to 1,000 people, whichever is less.
This new update comes following the recent backlash surrounding spectators at Toronto Raptors' games, where 10,000 people were able to catch the game in person while the province continuously reports record-breaking daily COVID-19 cases. Some Raps fans were even kicked out from games since they weren't sticking to the mask mandate.
In the same announcement regarding capacity limits, the Ford administration also revealed that students will be going back to school on January 5, and that fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to Ontarians living at long-term care facilities due to the "high-risk nature" of these settings.
As of December 19, Ontario implemented stricter health measures that included limiting indoor gathering sizes down to 10 people, and furthering restrictions on restaurants and bars with earlier last calls and closing times.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.