Ontario EXTENDS pause on lifting capacity limits at bars, clubs, other venues

The Ford government will not be lifting its pause on capacity limits in venues that are deemed "high risk" as COVID cases in the province see highs not seen in six months.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said that the limits will remain in place "out of an abundance of caution," reports CP24.

The "high-risk" settings include nightclubs, strip clubs, sex clubs, wedding receptions, and bathhouses.

"In line with Ontario’s cautious approach to date, as public health and medical experts learn more about the Omicron variant, we are continuing to take a deliberate pause in reopening to protect our hard-fought progress against COVID-19," Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement.

The announcement comes just one day after Elliott said that the vaccine certificate system in place for restaurants, gyms, and casinos, will remain in place longer than what was promised, as officials said they would be removed in January.

"We anticipate that we will need it for at least the next several months, if everything is all right, and maybe for longer than that, once we know more about the Omicron variant," Elliott said on Monday.

Dr. Moore has blamed the winter months for the rise in cases, and said that Ontarians must remain vigilant as the country braces for the Omicron variant.

"While an increase in the number of cases was always expected as we entered the winter months, with the emergence of the Omicron variant we must continue following the measures we have in place that have been working for us," he said in a statement on Tuesday.