Private indoor gatherings are now completely banned in Toronto

The news Toronto residents have dreaded and anticipated for days now has finally been confirmed: a new spate of sweeping lockdown restrictions — including a new cap on gathering limits — are being implemented in the city and neighbouring Peel Region starting at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 23.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott announced in their daily presser on Friday that indoor private gatherings with anyone outside of those you live with will now be completely prohibited in the two hotspots. Individuals who live alone may have close contact with one other household.

Outdoor private social functions, meanwhile, will be limited to 10 people.

This is down from the maximums of 10 people inside and 25 outside that were brought into some regions back in mid-September and extended provincewide soonafter.

No gatherings with more than 10 people outside of a single household but continue to send your children into classrooms with 25+ other students inside a building with potentially 1000s of other people. School spread or not, this is becoming ridiculous after multiple outbreaks

— Ontario Schools Covid Data (@ONTSchoolCovid) November 20, 2020

Religious services and weddings in the locales will also be subject to new caps of 10 people indoors and 10 outdoors.

And, all organized public events taking place in any region that is in the Red-Control zone of the province's colour-coded reopening framework will likewise face new restrictions, but of five people inside and and 25 outside.

Outside of amendments to the gathering limits, as part of Toronto and Peel's more intense lockdown, restaurant patios, gyms, museums, businesses offering personal services and non-essential retail stores will have to close except for curbside pickup and delivery, while movie theatres and casinos will remain shuttered.

TORONTO AND SUBURB OF PEEL TO ENTER LOCKDOWN WITH ALL INDOOR SOCIAL GATHERINGS BANNED, RETAIL STORES OPEN FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP ONLY AS COVID-19 CASES CLIMB -ONTARIO PREMIER

— Silver Watchdog (@Silver_Watchdog) November 20, 2020

For anyone still planning on having a sneaky get together for the holidays in either region, those who are caught violating the orders could land themselves with the steepest fines in the country for doing so: $10,000 for hosting a gathering, and $750 for attending one.