Ontario has announced that it will enter Step 1 of its economic reopening plan June 11 at 12:01 a.m.—three days earlier than planned.
The list of what is allowed in Step 1 is as follows:
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people.
- 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.
- 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.
- Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people.
- 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.
- 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 horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators.
- Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.
One of the requirements for entering Step 1 was that 60 per cent of adults aged 18 or older must be vaccinated with one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Sunday, 72 per cent of the population over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
In a statement Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said, “While we have reached the point where we can safely move into Step One, now is not the time to get complacent. We must all remain vigilant, as the fight against COVID-19 is not over. By continuing to follow public health advice and measures we can continue to reduce transmission, safeguard health system capacity and save lives.”
The province will remain in Step 1 for at least 21 days.
In order to move into Step 2 the province requires that at least 70 per cent of the population 18 years or older have been vaccinated with one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 20 per cent have received the second dose.
