Oh boy, this is a big one. Hot on the heels of Canada announcing a new non-essential travel advisory, Premier Doug Ford announced new measures throughout Canada’s most populated province. In an effort to curb the spread of the OMICRON variant, Ontario is making booster shots available to all adults over 18, setting capacity limits on large venues, and increasing the availability of rapid tests. Let’s dive in.
Booster Shots
The biggest news is with regards to booster shots in Ontario, which will be made available to all adults who are three months removed from their second dose of a COVID vaccine. The boosters will open to the new age group by Monday, December 20. Appointments for booster shots will be accessible on the Ontario government website.
Indoor Capacity Limits
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Next up, capacity limits. Starting at 12:01 AM on Saturday, December 18, indoor facilities that can hold over 1,000 people will be limited to 50% capacity. This means attendance at everything from concerts and Leafs and Raptors games to casinos, galleries, and large-scale events will be capped.
Free Rapid Tests
Ontario has also announced that free rapid antigen tests will become available at sites around the province. Some of these locations include LCBOs, holiday markets, malls, and at certain transit hubs. Further information will be made available soon.
So, it looks like the OMICRON variant has delivered one heck of a lump of coal to us for Christmas. Here’s hoping 2022 brings nothing but the good stuff.
