On September 25, the AGCO shared information about changes to the hours of sale and service of alcohol at licensed establishments announced by the Government of Ontario.
The Government of Ontario has made further amendments to the Regulation setting out Rules for Areas in Stage 3 under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 in response to the recent rise in cases of COVID-19.
Events held under a Special Occasion Permit must ensure that alcohol is only sold or served between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Consumption of alcohol is not allowed at the location of such an event between the hours of 12 a.m. and 9 a.m. Applicable gathering limits continue to apply to Special Occasion Permits.
Clarification has also been provided for licensed establishments in airports. The requirements to stop the sale and service of alcohol at 11 p.m. and to be closed to the public between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. do not apply. As such, there is no change to the hours of sale and service of alcohol at airports.
The requirement that licensed establishments must be closed between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., except for food takeout and delivery orders, does not apply to casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments. These facilities can continue to operate after 12 a.m., however the sale and service of alcohol must stop at 11 p.m. like other licensed establishments. The conditions for opening set out in the Rules for Areas in Stage 3 continue to apply. The number of persons in the gaming facility cannot exceed 50 and table games are prohibited.
These changes are effective immediately.
For questions or more information, contact the AGCO online within iAGCO, or call the AGCO’s customer service at 416-326-8700 or toll free at 1-800-522-2876, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.