COVID-19 GOVERNMENT AND
BUSINESS SUPPORT UPDATES
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Ontario to Move to Step Three of Roadmap to Reopen on July 16
Read full media release here.
With key public health and health care indicators continuing to improve and the provincewide vaccination rate surpassing the targets outlined in the province’s Roadmap to Reopen, the Ontario government is moving the province into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021.
WHAT DOES STEP THREE MEAN?
And what happens AFTER Step Three?
The province will remain in Step Three of the Roadmap for at least 21 days and until 80 per cent of the eligible population aged 12+ has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 75 per cent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 per cent of their population fully vaccinated. Other key public health and health care indicators must also continue to remain stable. Currently, the province is at 77% vaccinated for first dose and 50% vaccinated for second dose.
Upon meeting these thresholds, the vast majority of public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and limits for social gatherings, will be lifted. Only a small number of measures will remain in place, including the requirement for passive screening, such as posting a sign, and businesses requiring a safety plan. Face coverings will also continue to be required for indoor public settings, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, largely due to the Delta variant being the dominant strain in Ontario, which is not the case with some other provinces.
Step Three of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:
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Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions;
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
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Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;
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Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
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Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less;
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Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);
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Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
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Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
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Museums, galleries, casinos/bingo halls, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;
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Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
- up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
- up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
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Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
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Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).
There is a chart that outlines each Step, by Sector, here, and you'll find most of the capacity and additional restrictions above.
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We will continue to monitor these updates and provide additional information as we get it. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if there's anything we can help with, please reach out to us at [email protected]. |
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Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce
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