TORONTO (AP) — Ontario is making bars and restaurants shut down earlier and is closing all strip clubs in a bid to curb rising COVID-19 rates in the province.
The government says bars and restaurants will be required to close at midnight, except for takeout and delivery, and will have to stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m.
The province is also ordering all strip clubs to close.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says the tighter regulations will help limit the potential for exposure in places where the risk of transmission is higher.
The move comes after the province changed the rules surrounding social gatherings last week, lowering the number of people permitted at outdoor events to 25 and indoor events to 10.
Ontario reported 409 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and one new death related to the virus.
The province said it processed 41,865 tests over the previous day, with another 65,227 under investigation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2020.
