Socially distanced | KRG Hospitality

Indoor Dining Returning to Ontario

by David Klemt

Operators and their employees and guests in Ontario, Canada, have a real reason to celebrate this week.

On Friday, July 16, at 12:01 AM, the province will launch into Step 3 of the Reopening Ontario plan.

Why is this fantastic news for Ontario operators? Stage 3 includes the return of indoor dining.

Ahead of Schedule, Again

As with Step 1 and Step 2, the province is entering Step 3 of the Reopening Ontario plan earlier than expected.

Ontario launched Step 1 three days ahead of schedule. Step 2 also came a few days early.

The province is entering Step 3 a whole five days early. These early launches are a testament to Ontario’s vaccination efforts.

Premier Doug Ford said during a press release that the targets triggering Step 3 were not just met but surpassed.

However, he did mention that the campaign to vaccinate Ontarians was in no way complete.

“While this is welcome news for everyone who wants a return to normal, we will not slow down our efforts to fully vaccinate everyone who wants to be and put this pandemic behind us once and for all,” Premier Ford said.

Step 3 Details

This phase of the plan is the least-restrictive of Reopening Ontario.

In Step 3, restaurants and bars can welcome indoor guests. The only capacity restriction is that people must be able to maintain distance of two metres between one another.

Restaurants and bars with dance floors are restricted to 25-percent capacity and a maximum occupancy of 250.

Outdoor dining capacity will focus on social distancing: there must be two metres between tables.

Face masks are a requirement for indoor gatherings and in situations where it’s not possible to socially distance properly.

Should the vaccine rate and other indicators continue to improve, it’s possible that Ontario will reopen fully as soon as 21 days after Step 3 begins. So far, Reopening Ontario steps have launched ahead of schedule, a great sign for reopening fully.

However, operators must take care to remain in compliance with federal, provincial and local regulations. Click here to review the Reopening Ontario details.

Of course, we’ll monitor the situation and see what Ontario officials say next.

Image: Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash

CDC Updates Mask, Gathering Guidance

by David Klemt

On the heels of some states rescinding mask mandates, the Centers for Disease Control updates safety guidelines.

The CDC’s guidance focuses on vaccinated people.

Key Changes

Per the CDC, people who are vaccinated can meet indoors with one another. These indoor meetings can take place without masks.

Of particular note, the CDC says these people can meet up indoors with one unvaccinated household as long as they’re at “low risk” of serious illness.

Equally interesting, the latest guidance claims that if a fully vaccinated person is exposed to someone with Covid-19, they don’t need to quarantine if they’re not showing symptoms.

Importantly, these guidelines address fully vaccinated people, not those awaiting their second shot.

Masks & Public Gatherings

The CDC still recommends masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds, and staying away from spaces with poor ventilation.

Those who are fully vaccinated should exercise those recommendations whenever they’re in public; gathering with people are unvaccinated from more than a single household; meeting with anyone with increased risk of severe illness or death should they be infected with Covid-19.

Vaccinated or not, the CDC recommends people avoid medium- or large-sized gatherings and domestic and international travel.

Workplaces should still follow CDC guidance for employees not working exclusively from home.

Important Details

The CDC says a person is “fully vaccinated” if they meet one of two criteria:

It has been two weeks since they’ve received their second dose of a two-dose Covid-19 vaccination (Moderna, Pfizer, for example).
It has been two weeks since they’ve received a single-dose vaccine (example: Johnson & Johnson).

Anyone who needs to receive a second shot isn’t fully vaccinated. The same holds true if it has been less than two weeks since being vaccinated.

Per the CDC webpage: Everyone, “even people who’ve had their vaccines—should continue taking basic prevention steps when recommended.”

Click here to review the CDC’s new guidance. Remember that health and safety protect yourself, your staff, your guests and your community.

Image: torstensimon from Pixabay