Ontario will move to Stage 2 of reopening two days early
- Michael Kras
- 25 Jun 2021
Amid promising trends in COVID-19 case counts and rates of vaccination, the Ontario government has announced that the province will move into Stage 2 of reopening two days earlier than originally promised.
This is part of the province’s gradual reopening plan, which uses rates of vaccination, COVID-19 case numbers, and other public health markers to indicate when the province is ready to move into its next reopening phase.
BREAKING: Ontario to enter next step in its reopening plan on June 30, personal care services can reopen https://t.co/FUmewKbhB4 pic.twitter.com/QdXSikl4tM
— CP24 (@CP24) June 24, 2021
To move into the next phase or reopening, the province needed to hit at least 70 per cent of adults with one vaccine dose and 20 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks.
Ontario has gone even past that, with over 76 per cent of the adult population in Ontario having received their first dose, and 29 per cent with their second dose.
As a result, the province will move into Stage 2 next Wednesday, June 30th, meaning larger parts of the economy will get to reopen and further restrictions can ease.
“Because of the tireless work of our health care heroes, and the record setting success of our vaccine rollout, we are able to move into Step Two ahead of schedule on June 30th with the support of our public health experts” said Premier Doug Ford.
“We are proceeding safely with the re-opening of our province and will continue to work around the clock until the job is done.”
So what does moving into Stage 2 mean? To start, outdoor social gatherings and organized public events can occur with up to 35 people, and indoor social gatherings can have up to 5 people.
Personal care services such as barber shops and salons can reopen with strict capacity limits of 25 per cent and with face coverings worn at all times.
Essential retail’s capacity gets bumped up to 50 per cent, and non-essential retail is now permitted to have up to 25 per cent capacity for in-person shopping.
Outdoor patio dining also expands slightly, with 6 people now allowed per table and some exceptions for larger households. Indoor dining remains shuttered.
Outdoor fitness classes will be limited to the number of people who can maintain 3 metres of distance from each other, and outdoor sports are permitted without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specific limit on participants.
Furthermore, outdoor concert venues, theatres, and cinemas have a 25 per cent spectator capacity limit, as do outdoor sports facilities, horse racing and motor speedway venues, and outdoor fairs and festivals.
Ontario will remain in Stage 2 for a minimum of 21 days before potentially moving into Stage 3 of reopening.
Read more on the Ontario website.
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