The Ontario government is proceeding with the first step of its reopening plan three days earlier than planned — on Friday, June 11th instead of Monday, June 14th.
Premier Doug Ford said the decision is based on the province-wide vaccination rate and continuing improvements in key public health and health system indicators.
“The only reason we’re able to do so is because of the enormous sacrifices made by individuals, families, and communities across Ontario,” Ford states in a media release.
The province says 72 per cent of adults 18 years or age and older have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, far above the 60 per cent benchmark set by the government for step one to begin.
During the last week of May, the COVID-19 case rate in Ontario decreased by 35.1 per cent. As of Sunday (June 6), the number of patients with COVID-19 in Ontario ICUs is 497 — which includes 31 patients from Manitoba — as compared to 687 two weeks ago.
Step one includes the following changes from existing public health restrictions
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people.
- Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold.
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold.
- Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households.
- Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, among other restrictions.
- Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other restrictions.
- Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
- Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals.
- Outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators; and
- Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.
- Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
- Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 15 per cent capacity of the particular room.
The provincial government says Ontario will remain in step one for at least 21 days to evaluate any impacts on key public health and health system indicators.
If at the end of the 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent of adults with two doses, and there are continued improvements in other key public health and health system indicators, the province will move to step two.
