lockdown Ontario closes schools until Jan. 17, bans indoor dining and cuts capacity limits Ontario announced sweeping new restrictions that will see schools closed to in-person learning until at least Jan. 17, a ban on indoor dining, gyms shuttered and capacity limits put in place for retail as COVID-19 cases soar in the province. The new restrictions, which also includes slashing gathering limits to five people indoors and to 10 people outdoors, come into place on Jan. 5 and will be in place for 21 days, the government announced Monday. "The immediate goal of these measures will be to blunt the latest wave so we can ease the pressure on our hospitals," Premier Doug Ford said Monday while announcing a return to a modified Step 2. "We face a tsunami of new cases in the days and weeks ahead." As of Jan. 5, the government said hospitals will be instructed to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures to protect hospital capacity. Meanwhile, retail settings, including shopping malls, have had capacity limits slashed by 50 per cent. Indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food establishment must close. Takeout, drive-thru and delivery is still allowed. Meanwhile, personal care services must reduce to 50 per cent capacity. Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas must also close. Capacity will be limited to 50 per cent at indoor weddings and funerals.

full Full list of Ontario COVID-19 restrictions for starting Jan. 5 The Ontario government announced more COVID-19 restrictions on Monday due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, saying the province will return to a modified Step 2 of the reopening plan. Premier Doug Ford announced the new measures during a news conference as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and case counts increased across the province. CTV News Toronto has compiled a list of all the new restrictions, which will come into effect on Wednesday, Jan. 5. GATHERING LIMITS SLASHED Social gathering limits will be reduced to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors. Capacity will be limited at organized public events to five people indoors. Businesses and organizations will need to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site. REDUCED CAPACITY LIMITS Capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies will be limited to 50 per cent capacity of a particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance.Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits. Retail settings, including shopping malls, will be permitted at 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls, physical distancing will be required in line-ups and food courts will be required to close. Personal care services will be permitted to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Saunas, steam rooms, and oxygen bars will be closed. Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity. CLOSURES Indoor meeting and event spaces are required to close with limited exceptions, but outdoor spaces can remain open with restrictions. Indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will no longer be permited. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted. Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas will be closed, but rehearsals and recorded performances are permitted with restrictions. Museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals will all close. Outdoor establishments will be permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity. Indoor horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues will close. Outdoor establishments will be permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity. Boat tours will be permitted at 50 per cent capacity. Indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms, will be closed, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sport leagues. Outdoor facilities will be permitted to operate but with the number of spectators not to exceed 50 per cent occupancy and other requirements. SCHOOL CLOSURES All publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations. School buildings would be permitted to open for child care operations and to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely. SURGERIES On Jan. 5, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will reinstate Directive 2 for hospitals and regulated health professionals, instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures in order to "preserve critical care and human resource capacity."