The Ontario government has lifted capacity limits for other organized outdoor public events, including Remembrance Day ceremonies and Santa Claus parades, effective immediately.
A regulation amendment to the Reopening Ontario Act lifting capacity limits on outdoor organized public events (including parades, memorial services, and other similar events) was approved on Wednesday (October 27).
Other changes include lifting capacity limits on ski hills and other outdoor recreational amenities, outdoor areas of museums and festivals, and removing the physical distancing limits on vehicles at drive-ins.
Although capacity limits have been lifted on organized outdoor public events, face masks must be worn if physical distancing of two metres is not possible.
The government has also lifted any remaining outdoor capacity limits in most other sectors, including outdoor areas of fairs, rural exhibitions and festivals, and outdoor areas of museums, aquariums, zoos, and science centres, among others.
Ski hills and other outdoor recreational amenities are also able to operate outdoors without capacity limits.
These settings can also opt-in for proof of vaccination for their indoor settings to remove capacity limits.
Unorganized outdoor social gatherings will continue to be limited to 100 people. Outdoor capacity limits will remain in place for food or drink establishments with dance facilities, such as nightclubs.
Proof of vaccination continues to be required in certain outdoor settings where the capacity is 20,000 people or more.
The government has also made several other changes, including:
- Removing the expired provision that permitted a negative COVID-19 antigen test to be used in place of proof of vaccination for wedding and funeral receptions in meeting or event spaces.
- Permitting indoor recreational amenities to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements to align with the approach for similar businesses and organizations.
- Clarifying requirements for signage at wedding, funeral and religious services, rites or ceremonies that opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
- Specifying reservations are not required to attend unseated concerts, events, performances, and movies in addition to seated.
- Removing the requirement that motor vehicles maintain at least two meters distance at drive-in or drive-through venues.
