OTTAWA —
On day one in the red zone in Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson and local businesses are urging the Ontario government to eliminate the hard cap on indoor capacity at bars and restaurants.
Under the ‘Red-Control’ zone in Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening framework, capacity at bars and restaurants is capped at a maximum of 10 people indoors, and four people per table, regardless of the size of the space.
The Ottawa Board of Trade, the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas and the Regroupement des gen d’affaires de la Capital nationale sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford on Thursday, asking the province implement a capacity limit based on the size of the establishment.
“Our immediate ask as Ottawa enters the red zone in the framework is to change from hard caps to a percentage of capacity in service areas of all businesses regardless of the sector,” said the letter.
“This supports the physical distancing mandate. In addition, it ensures the percentage of capacity is equal for all businesses. The spread of the virus does not change depending on whether you are at a supermarket or hardware store.”
Speaking on CTV Morning Live Friday morning, Watson said the 10 person capacity limit doesn’t make sense for all restaurants and businesses.
“Don’t count on a per head basis, it should be based on square footage. A big restaurant like Red Lobster that might be able to accommodate 150 people, is going to have 10 people, but then a little café that normally accommodates 20 people is allowed to have 10 people,” said Watson.
“It doesn’t make sense; I think you got to come up with a percent of the square footage that seems to be more of a reasonable suggestion. Who’s going to open a restaurant if they have 150 seats, but they’re only allowed ten people in?”
The mayor said he would forward the letter from the Board of Trade and the BIAs to the province.
SHORT NOTICE?
On Thursday, Watson said he was surprised the Ontario government announced on Thursday that Ottawa was moving into the red zone, to be implemented on Friday, instead of waiting until Monday.
Watson repeated on Friday he “supports” the move into the red zone, but wished businesses had more time to prepare.
“All we need is advance notice. We’re not disputing the fact that we’re in red territory but the tradition had been that the province reviewed the numbers on Tuesday, cabinet on Wednesday, announced it publicly on Friday for implementation on Monday,” said Watson.
“A lot of these restaurants followed those rules on the assumption that they would be open on the weekend because they’d be given two days notice and they bought all their food for the weekend. It’s a very big hit to them.”
On Twitter, Ontario cabinet minister Lisa MacLeod took issue with the mayor saying he wished businesses had received a heads up.
“The decision to move the timing for Ottawa’s entry to red to this Friday was at the direct request of Ottawa Public Health and Dr. Etches. She had been raising alarm bells for over two weeks about the spread of COVID,” said MacLeod.
In the letter sent to the premier, the Ottawa Board of Trade, the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas and the Regroupement des gen d’affaires de la Capital nationale repeated a call to give businesses “adequate notice” when there is a status change.
