Toronto and Peel Region to enter Phase 3 on July 31

In wonderful news for Toronto's restaurant and hospitality industry, the City finally receives the green light to open indoor dining.

Jul 29, 2020 - EightSix Staff

Ontario's Ministry of Health announced today that the City of Toronto and the Peel Region will be permitted to enter Phase 3 on Friday, July 31st.

Toronto and Peel join the rest of Ontario in Phase 3 save Windsor-Essex region, which continues to struggle with COVID-19 outbreaks among farm workers.

Restaurants in Toronto may finally open indoor dining, a huge relief to restaurant owners and staff in Canada's largest city. Movie theatres, gyms and sport facilities may also open, as well as playgrounds. Indoor gatherings are restricted to 50 people maximum and outdoor gatherings are limited to 100 people.

However, Toronto Mayor John Tory has asked the province to approve additional measures that would be applied to bars, restaurants and indoor dining settings in order to reduce the impacts of a second wave. These measures include requiring customers to remain seated, requiring restaurants to keep a customer log, adding additional capacity restrictions, early closures, COVID-screening for employees, and mandatory face coverings for staff and patrons.