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
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.