OTTAWA -- Ottawa's medical officer of health is urging residents to dine with members of their household only while sitting outside on bar and restaurant patios this spring.

Ottawa Public Health is asking Ontario's chief medical officer of health to clarify new rules for dining at bars and restaurants in the orange and red zones.  Dr. Vera Etches says she is prepared to implement "local solutions" to prohibit dining on patios with people who aren't in the same household.

Ontario introduced new rules for bars and restaurant capacity for areas in the Orange-Restrict and Red-Control levels of the province's COVID-19 reopening framework last Friday, saying only members of the same household can sit together while indoors.

There are no rules under the Red-Control zone for sitting on a patio with people outside your household.

Dr. Etches told CTVNewsOttawa.ca that she would support new rules saying patrons can only sit with members of their household on outdoor patios.

"The reason is because we know that the more opportunity there is for people from different household to be together, where there's close contact and no mask wearing, the more opportunity for transmission of COVID, and we're just not there yet," said Dr. Etches.

"The day will come when we can increase the number of opportunities where we're in close contact with people outside our household. We miss that, absolutely. It's not the time. This is not the time to allow COVID to go to higher and higher levels in our community."

Etches adds Ottawa Public Health is asking Ontario health officials for more clarity on the rules for outdoor dining.

"If we can accomplish that for the whole province, that's the best way to protect people," said Etches. "But yes, if that isn't the direction things are going in then we would be looking at local solutions."

RESTAURANTS MUST SCREEN PATRONS

Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services says bars and restaurants must screen patrons to ensure indoor diners are sitting with members of the same household only.

"It is the responsibility of the restaurant or bar operator to screen all patrons," said a statement from Ottawa Bylaw to Newstalk 580 CFRA's Kristy Cameron.

"The screening process involves obtaining information from patrons to demonstrate that they are from the same household, and that they have no COVID symptoms or exposure. The operator also records the name and telephone number of patrons for contact tracing."

Ottawa Bylaw Services says it "proactively" inspects restaurants and bars.

While Ottawa Bylaw says bars and restaurants must screen patrons, owners say the rules don't make it clear how to enforce the household limits.

"While I understand the logic behind trying to restrict gatherings to family members, makes sense. But from a practical application, I just don’t see how we can enforce it," says John Couse, owner of Lieutenant's Pump on Elgin Street.

"What are we supposed to do? There's no proof that people live together or are from the same household; so if two customers come up and say they’re brothers, I don't know if they live together."

Crouse says the reality is people will do what they want to do.

"How are you going to enforce it? What am I supposed to do? I don’t get it," says Couse, who adds that his restaurant follows all necessary safety protocols in place. "But I think requiring us to enforce the makeup of the people at the table, I just don’t see how we can do it. It’s baffling! What if a Bylaw officer comes and says I need to see that all these people are from the same household, how am I supposed to prove it? It’s just not reasonable."