Restaurants Canada 'disappointed' by capacity limit changes in some Ontario venues
CBC
Restaurants Canada says it's "extremely disappointed" that the Ontario government has chosen to lift capacity limits in some venues, but not for the "hardest-hit" food service industry.
As of Saturday morning, cinemas, theatres, concert and spectator sports venues and car and horse racing tracks are allowed to open at full capacity.
The province says there have been few outbreaks in the selected settings and most other public health measures such as masks remain in place.
Capacity rules remain in place in other places requiring proof of vaccination such as gyms and restaurants.
"I was really surprised," James Rilett, vice president, Central Canada, for Restaurants Canada, said on Saturday.
"We had been talking to the government for weeks about trying to get the restrictions lifted because of the vaccine passport. They had given us all the all the good signals that it might happen. They hadn't said so right out, but they did indicate that there was a chance that it would happen."
Rillet said the industry had pointed out to the Ford government how much revenue it is losing because the vaccine passport requires extra staff to ask for it and to check it.