With key public health and health care indicators showing signs of improvement, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced details of steps to cautiously and gradually ease public health measures.
Effective Monday, January 31, 2022, at 12:01 a.m., the Province is gradually easing restrictions on the following:
- Increasing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
- Increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50 per cent in indoor public settings, including but not limited to:
- Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities;
- Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies);
- Shopping malls;
- Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms;
- Cinemas;
- Meeting and event spaces;
- Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks;
- Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions; and
- Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
- Religious services, rites, or ceremonies.
- Allowing spectator areas of facilities such as sporting events, concert venues and theatres to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less.
Enhanced proof of vaccination and other requirements will continue to apply in existing settings.
The Province intends to follow a cautious and phased approach to lifting public health measures, with 21 days between each step. Additional restrictions are expected to lift on February 21, 2022, and March 14, 2022.
“I am happy to see the current COVID-19 restrictions easing, especially for our small local businesses,” stated Lord Mayor Betty Disero. “Thank you to all Niagara-on-the-Lake residents for continuing to do all it takes to stay safe and help prevent the spread of illness. It is reassuring to see what we all do together is helping stop the spread, so we can try once again to get back to normal.”
To support businesses required to close or reduce capacity due to the public health measures put in place to blunt the spread of the Omicron variant, the Province has launched the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program. Through the new program, the government will provide eligible businesses with a rebate payment of up to 100 percent for property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these restrictions. Applications for the program opened on January 18, 2022. Business owners are invited to learn more about the program and apply here.
The Province is also introducing a new COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant that will give businesses subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen a $10,000 grant. The money will flow to eligible businesses in February. In addition, the government is also improving cash flows for Ontario businesses by making up to $7.5 billion available through a six-month interest- and penalty-free period for Ontario businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes. This penalty and interest-free period started on January 1, 2022. This supports businesses now and provides the flexibility they will need for long-term planning.
“With today’s announcement on easing restrictions, our small business community can start to rebuild lost revenue,” stated CAO Marnie Cluckie. “I know how difficult these past few weeks have been for many, and I look forward to seeing a gradual, planned, and safe return of various activities.”
While the Province has yet to release a revised regulation, it has noted that to manage COVID-19 over the long term, local and regional responses by public health units may be deployed based on local context and conditions.
Stay tuned on the Town’s website, and social media channels for an updated COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions regarding the latest restrictions.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information about COVID-19 related measures being taken by Niagara-on-the-Lake, please visit notl.com/COVID-19, or call 905-468-3266.
Community members looking to report contraventions of Emergency Orders are asked to email covidcomplaints@notl.com. Urgent issues can be reported by calling the Niagara Regional Police Service’s non-emergency line at 905-688-4111.
For immediate alerts, follow the Town on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Media contact:
Marah Minor, Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator
905-468-3266 | communications@notl.com