VANCOUVER -- The City of Vancouver has expanded its temporary expedited patio program for restaurants looking to increase their dining area while still complying with COVID-19 distancing rules.

Applications for temporary patios on private property are now allowed, and six have already been approved, according to a news release from the city on Friday.

Overall, there have been 101 applications since the program launched on June 1, and 47 patios have been approved - 41 on public property in addition to the six on private property - according to the city.

A total of 23 applications - 13 public and 10 private - are currently under review, while 31 have been determined to be outside the scope of the program.

A list of the approved patios has been posted on the city's website.

Notably absent from the list Friday was Como Taperia, a Mount Pleasant restaurant that announced on Instagram last weekend that it would be closing because the city had rejected its patio application, which was on private property.

After a meeting with city councillor Michael Wiebe and a Twitter assurance from Mayor Kennedy Stewart, the restaurant's owners said they had been told they'd have a patio "by next week."

In a post on Wednesday, Como Taperia wrote "we are still awaiting approval but have been told it will be very soon." The restaurant has been closed this week in preparation for reopening next week.

Patios on public property can be approved within two business days, according to the city, but patios on private property require "a more comprehensive application and building review."

"Staff expect permits for private property to be available by the end of the month with approval granted within five business days for patios that do not require construction," the city said in its release Friday.

There is no application or permit fee for businesses seeking to open a temporary patio between now and Oct. 31, but businesses intending to serve alcohol on their patios must also meet provincial liquor licensing requirements and obtain provincial approval for a temporary service area expansion, the city said.

Temporary patios come in three categories: small, large and curbside. Interested businesses can apply for a temporary patio online