Gyms, restaurants, movie theatres reopen as Ontario moves into Step 3
Effective this morning, Ontario is entering the final stage of its COVID-19 economic reopening plan.
For the first time in months, indoor dining, gyms, cinemas, nightclubs and other venues will be able to reopen to the public. There will still be capacity limits at nearly all businesses, and masks will still be required.
Social gatherings of up to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are now permitted.
In order to move to Step 3, the province needed to have between 70 to 80 per cent of adults immunized with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and at least 25 per cent with two doses.
Ontario far surpassed that threshold weeks ago. Now, more than 79 per cent of adults have received at least one dose, and more than 59 per cent are fully vaccinated.
The province also needed to see declines in key public health indicators including lower case counts and improved ICU occupancy.
On Thursday, Ontario reported 143 new COVID-19 infections, which marked a full week of the province recording fewer than 200 new cases per day.
The province will remain in Step 3 for at least three weeks, and until 80 per cent of the 12 and older population in Ontario has received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 75 per cent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 per cent of their eligible population fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.