Ontario’s province-wide shutdown — intended to slow the community transmission of COVID-19 and to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed by COVID-19 hospitalizations in the new year — began at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday (December 26) and remains in effect until at least Saturday, January 23rd in southern Ontario.
Here’s a summary of what’s allowed and not allowed during the province-wide shutdown in southern Ontario.
General public health measures
Anyone lining up either inside or outside a business or other location must maintain a physical distance of two metres from others and wear a mask or face covering that covers their mouth, nose, and chin.
Workplaces must screen any workers or essential visitors entering the work environment.
Social gatherings
No indoor organized public events or social gatherings are allowed, except with members of the same household (the people you live with). People who live alone and single parents may have exclusive close contact with one other household.
Outdoor organized public events or social gathering are limited to 10 people, who must maintain a physical distance of two metres from others.
Where physical distancing can be maintained, weddings, funerals, and other religious services, rites, or ceremonies are limited to 10 people indoors or outdoors. Virtual or drive-in services, rites, or ceremonies are permitted.
Education and child care
Elementary students at publicly funded schools will learn remotely from January 4th to 8th and return to in-person learning on Monday, January 11th.
Secondary school students at publicly funded schools will learn remotely from January 4th to 22nd, and resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th.
Post-secondary institutions will provide remote learning only, with limited exceptions where in-person instruction is required (e.g., clinical training and trades). In-person teaching and in-person examinations are limited to 10 people.
Child care will remain open for the duration of the shutdown. This includes child care offered in licensed centres, in home-based settings (licensed and unlicensed), and by authorized recreation and skill-building providers. From January 4th to 8th, licensed child care centres and authorized recreation and skill-building providers will be prohibited from serving school-aged children. All before and after school programs are being closed during this one-week period.
Day camps for children are not allowed.
Meeting and event spaces
Meeting and event spaces are permitted to open only for child care centres and programs, court services, government services, mental health and addictions support services (to a maximum of 10 people), and social services.
Restaurants, bars, night clubs, and strip clubs
Restaurants and bars, and other food or drink establishments can only provide take-out, drive-through, and delivery services (including the sale of alcohol). Inside or outside dining is not allowed.
Night clubs and strip clubs are only permitted to open only if they operate as food or drink establishments and are subject to the same conditions as restaurants and bars.
Grocery stores, drug stores, big box retailers, and malls
Supermarkets, convenience stores, indoor farmers’ markets, and other stores that primarily sell food can remain open for in-person retail, as long as patrons can maintain two metres physical distance from everyone else and the number of people in any room does not exceed 50 per cent capacity of that room. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Pharmacies can remain open for in-person retail, as long as patrons can maintain two metres physical distance from everyone else and the number of people in any room does not exceed 50 per cent capacity of that room. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Discount and big box retailers can remain open only if they sell groceries to the public and limit the number of people in any room to 25 per cent capacity of that room. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Shopping malls are closed for in-person retail; only order pick-up is permitted. A single designated location inside the mall is permitted for order pick-up but by appointment only. Any number of designated locations outside the mall are allowed for curbside order pick-up. Food courts can remain open for take-out only. People can enter a mall only to access businesses and organizations permitted to be open (such as grocery stores, pharmacies, food court take-out, dentists or doctors, court services, and government services), for food court pick-up, or for interior order pick-up.
Liquor, beer, and cannabis stores
Stores that sell liquor, including beer, wine and spirits can remain open if they limit the number of persons occupying any room that is open to the public in the business does not exceed 25 per cent of that room. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Cannabis retail stores can offer curbside pick-up or delivery only (no in-person retail).
Other business and services
Safety supply stores can remain open by appointment only. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Businesses that sell, rent or repair assistive/mobility/medical devices can remain open by appointment only. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Optical stores that sell prescription eyewear to the public can remain open by appointment only. Curbside pick-up and delivery is permitted.
Garden centres can provide curbside pick-up and delivery only.
Motor vehicle sales are allowed by appointment only.
Vehicle and equipment repair, maintenance, and rental services can remain open by appointment only.
Outdoor markets, including farmers’ markets and holiday markets, are allowed only if they primarily sell food.
All other retail businesses (including hardware stores, pet supply stores, office supply stores, etc.) can offer curbside pick-up and delivery only. Customers are not allowed to enter the business for any reason, including for curbside pick-up and delivery.
The following businesses can remain open: gas stations; car rental agencies; car washes; laundromats and dry cleaners; snow clearing and landscaping services; security services; funeral services; staffing services; cheque cashing services; financial services (including banks and credit unions); and courier, postal, shipping, moving and delivery services.
Veterinary services that are necessary for the immediate health and welfare of the animal only, or that are provided through curb side pick-up and drop-off of the animal, can remain open. Other businesses that provide for the health and welfare of animals, including farms, boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters and research facilities can remain open. Businesses that provide pet training exclusively for service animals can remain open.
Hotels, motels, lodges, cabins, cottages, resorts and other shared rental accommodation, including student residences, can remain open. However, any indoor pools, indoor fitness centres, or other indoor recreational facilities that are part of the operation of these businesses, must close.
Community centres and multi-purpose facilities are only permitted to open for child care centres and programs, mental health and addictions support services (to a maximum of 10 people), and social services.
Financial services including banks, credit unions, insurance, land registration services, and accounting and tax services can remain open.
Real estate services can remain open, but open houses are not permitted (showing a property is permitted by appointment only).
Other essential businesses and services include telecommunications and information technology services, media (including newspapers, radio, and television), maintenance services (including property management), transportation services, manufacturing, agriculture and food production, construction, resources and energy businesses and services, waste management including sewage treatment and disposal, legal and justice services, and government services including policing, paramedics, fire and emergency services, corrections and court services, and licences and permits.
Indoor and outdoor sports and recreational fitness facilities are closed, except for facilities for high-performance athletes and specified professional leagues or specified purposes such as child care.
Outdoor recreational amenities such as parks, sports fields, playgrounds, cross-country skiing and skating trails, snowmobile trails, ice rinks, and tobogganing hills can remain open. Ski hills are closed.
Concert venues, theatre and cinemas are closed to the public, including drive-in or drive-through events. They may remain open only for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with conditions, including no more than 10 performers on stage.
Libraries may open for contactless curbside, delivery, and pick-up only. All circulating materials returned to libraries must be disinfected or quarantined before they are recirculated. Libraries must record patron contact information.
Museums, art galleries, and other cultural amenities are closed.
Zoos and aquariums are closed to the public but can continue to operate to care for animals.
The following businesses and services are closed: amusement parks and water parks, bathhouses and sex clubs, tour and guide services, motorsports, personal care services, and casinos, bingo halls, and gaming establishments.
Details of the shutdown are available at ontario.ca/page/covid-19-provincewide-shutdown and in the document below.
PDF: Ontario Province-wide Shutdown – December 21, 2020
Ontario Province-wide Shutdown - December 21, 2020
This document is available for download at files.ontario.ca/moh-provincewide-shutdown-en-2020-12-22.pdf
