Officials have announced that Ontario can finally enter Step 2 of the province’s re-opening plan on Wednesday June 30th; just the day before Canada Day. Prior to the announcement, there were rumours circulating of an early Step 2 re-opening due to the province’s accelerated vaccination rate (reaching over 75% of adults receiving their first dose).
The province has been in Step 1 of the Re-opening Plan since Friday June 11th, with restaurant and bar patios open and outdoor gatherings allowed.
Step 2 of the Re-opening Plan comes with a higher capacity for outdoor gatherings, small indoor gatherings permitted, and the long-awaited personal care services re-opening.
See below for your guide to all the rules for Step 2 in Ontario, so you can start planning your self care appointments, asap.
Patios
Outdoor dining with up to six people per table, with exceptions for larger households.
Outdoor Social Gatherings
Outdoor public events and private social gatherings will be permitted with up to 25 people.
Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions. Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
Sports, Fitness & Recreation
Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain three metres of physical distance.
Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions.
Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
Personal Care
Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times can resume at 25 per cent capacity.
Indoor Gatherings
Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to five people.
Religious Services, Weddings and Funerals
Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding and funerals, permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity per room.
Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, wedding services and funeral services must be socially distanced (at least two metres apart).
Retail
Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity. Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
This doesn’t include stores inside malls, though, as only stores with street-facing entrances will be open for in-store shopping.
Stores in malls without street-facing entrances are still operating with curbside pick up and delivery (per store’s procedures).
Source: Canadian Press via National Post, CTVNews
Updates & errors to this article please email info@itsdatenight.com
