Ontario moving to step three of reopening on July 16

The Ontario government is moving the province into step three of the roadmap to reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16.

Step three of the roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes:

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;

Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;

Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;

Indoor sports and recreational fitnectatess 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 spors is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less;

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);

Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;

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;

Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;

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).

Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and

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).

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline heroes, and the ongoing commitment of Ontarians to get vaccinated, we have surpassed the targets we set in order to enter Step Three of our Roadmap,” said Premier Doug Ford. “While this is welcome news for everyone who wants a return to normal, we will not slow down our efforts to fully vaccinate everyone who wants to be and put this pandemic behind us once and for all.”

Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout 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 and over 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.