Nearly one third of Ottawa restaurants aren’t following vaccination rules: MacLeod
An Ontario cabinet minister says nearly one third of Ottawa restaurants aren’t enforcing provincial vaccine requirements.
Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod made the statement in the Ontario legislature on Tuesday, calling the figure “troubling.”
“I had some troubling information today from Ottawa Public Health, where 30 per cent of restaurants in the city of Ottawa failed to comply with the vaccination requirements at this point in time,” said MacLeod, who is Ontario’s minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture.
MacLeod told CTV News she and Social Services Minister Merrilee Fullerton received a briefing from Ottawa Public Health officials, who raised concern and shared the number.
Restaurants and bars are required under provincial rules to check proof of vaccination for diners eating indoors. That rule came into effect Sept. 22.
MacLeod was speaking in response to a question about why sports venues are allowed to be at full capacity, while restaurants are not.
A spokesperson for MacLeod said she was unavailable for an interview.
But it's possible she was referring to a blitz of 31 businesses that Ottawa bylaw officials conducted on Friday and Saturday to check for compliance with rules on masking, capacity limits, contact tracing and proof of vaccination.
Of the 31 businesses inspected, 10 were found not to be in compliance with various rules, the city's director of bylaw services Roger Chapman said in a statement on Wednesday.
However, the inspections focused on establishments previously reported as being non-compliant. And the violations were of various provincial rules, not just vaccination requirements.
Restaurants aren’t operating at full capacity because physical distancing is still required between tables. Many in the industry say those restrictions are unfair now that much larger venues, such as arenas and event spaces, can welcome capacity crowds.
- With files from Leslie Roberts, CTV Morning Live
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.