COVID-19: London, Ont. restaurants, gyms ready for reported further reopening

While they're still awaiting confirmation, the local businesses say it will be a welcome change if reports that Ontario plans on lift capacity limits further turn out to be true.

Restaurants and gyms in London, Ont., say they’re ready to reopen even further as reports emerge that the provincial government will announce plans to exit Step 3 of its COVID-19 reopening plan late next week.

Sources tell Global News the first phase of the plan will determine when capacity limits can be lifted for remaining venues already under a proof-of-vaccination policy that weren’t included in the latest round of eased restrictions.

Since Saturday, cinemas, theatres, spectator sports venues, concert venues, meeting and event spaces, horse racing and car racing tracks in Ontario have been allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Dr. Chris Mackie, the medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) told reporters “we have heard no more than you have in the media about some restrictions being lifted potentially as early as next week.”

“There have been a number of restrictions loosened over the past few weeks, I think we’re a bit early to know exactly what impact that will have, and so it’s hard to say for sure what impact further loosening restrictions will have,” Mackie said.

“We have great vaccination rates, I would be much more comfortable if we had vaccine available to children (under 12), but I understand that the government is moving forward in this way and I feel like we will be able to handle it.”

When asked about potential spread in restaurants and gyms, two venues that are targeted in the potential upcoming lifting of restrictions, Mackie said they’ve seen a number of outbreaks locally with restaurants, but “less with gyms.”

The medical officer of health added that “we have yet to see significant spread of COVID in a place where there is a vaccine mandate in place.”