The Government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has released its Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures based on the provincewide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators. In response to recent improvements to these indicators, Ontario will allow more outdoor recreational amenities to reopen, with restrictions in place, effective May 22, 2021 at 12:01 AM.
Roadmap to Reopen outlines three steps to easing public health measures, guided by the following principles:
Step One An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower and permitting retail with restrictions. This includes allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, outdoor dining with up to four people per table and non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
Step Two Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, overnight camps, personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits, as well as indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity.
Step Three Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are larger numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes indoor sports and recreational fitness; indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, and casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits.
The province will remain in each step 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 following vaccination thresholds have been met, along with positive trends in other key public health and health system indicators, then the province will move to the next step:
Step 1: 60 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose.
Outdoor gatherings up to 10 people;
Outdoor dining up to 4 people per table;
Outdoor fitness classes, personal training and sports training up to 10 people;
Essential retail at 25 per cent capacity and can sell all goods (including discount and big box);
Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity;
Retail stores in malls closed unless the stores have a street facing entrance;
Outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing;
Horse racing and motor speedways without spectators;
Outdoor horse riding;
Outdoor pools, splash pads and wading pools with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing;
Outdoor zoos, landmarks, historic sites, and botanical gardens with capacity limits;
Campsites, campgrounds and short-term rentals; and
Ontario Parks.
Step 2: 70 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent vaccinated with two doses.
Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people;
Indoor gatherings up to 5 people and other restrictions;
Outdoor dining up to 6 people per table;
Outdoor sports and leagues;
Overnight camps;
Outdoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits;
Non-essential retail at 25 per cent capacity; essential retail at 50 per cent capacity;
Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times with capacity limits;
Outdoor cinemas and performing arts with capacity limits;
Horse racing and motor speedways for spectators with capacity limits;
Outdoor tour and guide services with capacity limits;
Indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity;
Public libraries with capacity limits;
Outdoor waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits; and
Fairs and rural exhibitions with capacity limits.
Step 3: 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses.
Outdoor gatherings with larger capacity limits;
Indoor gatherings with larger capacity limits and other restrictions;
Indoor dining with capacity limits;
Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities with capacity limits;
Indoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits;
Essential and non-essential retail capacity expanded;
Personal care services with capacity expanded and other restrictions;
Indoor cinemas and performing arts facilities with capacity limits;
Indoor and outdoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing;
Indoor museums and art galleries with capacity limits;
Indoor zoos, aquariums, waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits;
Casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits; and
Other outdoor activities from Step Two permitted to operate indoors.
Based on current trends in key health indicators, including the provincial vaccination rate, the government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021. The province will confirm closer to the expected start of Step One.