New measures allowing live music in Kingston were announced today under the provincial government's Returning to Our Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario that will ease restrictions put in place on January 5, 2022 “...to blunt transmission of the Omicron variant and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.” Of note to Kingston Live readers, some of the new measures that will come into effect on January 31, 2022 include:

• increasing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors
• increasing capacity at organized public events to 25 people indoors
• increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50 per cent in most indoor public settings, including but not limited to:
  • restaurants, bars, other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
• allowing indoor spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (such as sporting events), concert venues, and theatres to operate at 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 500 people, whichever is less
• proof of vaccination requirements would continue to apply in existing settings
• prohibiting food or drink services at indoor sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas... and other similar venues.
• requiring patrons to remain seated at concert venues, theatres and cinemas

Further measures were also announced, which come into effect on February 21, 2022, including:

• increasing social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
• increasing capacity at organized public events to 50 people indoors
• lifting the 500-person limit on indoor spectator events, in spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (such as sporting events), concert venues, and theatres where proof of vaccination requirements are in effect, while requiring a capacity limit of 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity
• requiring patrons to remain seated while eating or drinking at indoor restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments (with or without dance facilities), sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas... and other similar venues.

The plan indicates that by March 14, 2022, capacity limits in all public settings will be lifted. Posted: May 3, 2023 Originally Published: Jan 20, 2022