But many other restrictions remain unchanged in Niagara

Diners in the Niagara Region can once again gather at patios with members outside of their own household.

Part of the region's section 22 orders which have been limiting outdoor dining were officially Thursday, according to a media release from the Region of Niagara.

“Thanks to ongoing vigilance against COVID-19, cases continue to decline in Niagara allowing our businesses to continue to recover,” said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health.

Diners can seat more than four people at a table if they are all from the same household, but the four-person limit remains in all other scenarios.

Hirji cautioned against individuals relaxing cautionary measures against the virus.

“With the more contentious and the more severe Delta variant starting to circulate, we need ongoing vigilance.”

Hirji pointed to “other” communities as a cautionary example.

He might have been referring to the Region of Waterloo, which accounted for 95 of the 296 new COVID-19 cases in Ontario, according to a tweet Thursday from Health Minister Christine Elliot.

Toronto accounted for 35 of new cases while Niagara reported six.

The surge in Waterloo has been driven by the Delta variant, that region’s medical officer Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said at an earlier COVID-19 briefing.