The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is clarifying some measures in its latest 'Letter of Instruction' on social gatherings and bar/restaurant capacity.
CEO Nicole Dupuis says health unit officers were out over the weekend enforcing the measures and providing education.
She says there appears to be some confusion over the measures.
Dupuis says the 10 person limit for social gatherings is also in place for restaurant and bars, meaning no more than 10 people should be seated at a table.
"Social gatherings are no more than 10 people so again if it's at a restaurant or anywhere else it's 10 people," she continued. "So you shouldn't really be seeing a gathering or table for more than 10 people."
Dupuis says workplace holiday gatherings are not allowed under the latest measures.
"We've asked workplaces not to have holiday gatherings so those are prohibited under the Letter of Instruction. It doesn't really matter where they occur, whether they're in the workplace or restaurant, workplace gatherings are prohibited. We ask that workplaces really have those virtual."
She says it was a busy weekend for her staff and 'a lot of education' was provided.
"We may provide a lot of notices of violations as we call them which is, if we're seeing something that's not correct, we'll work with businesses to educate and ensure that they understand the changes and the rules that apply to them. Certainly a lot of education occurred over the weekend. There were several charges as well," Dupuis said.
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As heard on AM800 news last week, the local health unit issued new restrictions aimed at reducing gathering limits and encouraging work-from-home measures as the region faces a surge of COVID-19 cases.
The measures went into effect last Friday at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in place until further notice.
The new restrictions impose a maximum of 10 people allowed in a social gathering indoors, with exceptions for weddings and funerals, and a maximum of 25 people if the gathering is held outdoors.
Restaurants and bars, along with meeting and event spaces, must limit their indoor capacity to 50 per cent to enable physical distancing and post visible signage indicating the number of people permitted based on this limit.
There must also be strict adherence to face covering requirements in all public settings.