Ontario enters Step 1 of COVID-19 reopening. Your top questions answered
Ontario is entering Step 1 of its reopening plan three days ahead of schedule—a move that will allow residents to enjoy the summer weather with a variety of outdoor activities now permitted.
The province was supposed to begin reopening on June 14, but Premier Doug Ford’s office said that the situation in Ontario is “exceeding the best-case scenario.”
But what does moving into Step 1 mean? Here is answers to some of the top reopening questions:
When does Step 1 start and how long does it last?
Ontario entered Step 1 of the reopening plan at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 11. The government has said it will wait at least 21 days between each step. This means Ontario will likely move into Step 2 on July 2.
Does Step 1 apply to the entire province?
The Ontario government has moved the entire province into Step 1, however local public health units do have the power to hold their region back. Porcupine Health Unit is the only PHU extending the current pandemic lockdown until June 24.
Can I gather with friends and family now?
Outdoor gatherings and public events are now permitted with a maximum of 10 people. Indoor gatherings with people outside of your household are still not allowed.
Can I go to a patio or eat at a restaurant?
Patios are permitted to reopen in Step 1, with a maximum of four people at a table, unless they live in the same household. There is no cap on the number of tables on a patio, but officials have said that there must be two-metres between each table or group of people.
Restaurants with patios can return to their normal hours of liquor service, Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Indoor dining is still prohibited.
Can I shop in-person now?
All retail can now open with strict capacity limits. Essential and other select retail will be allowed 25 per cent capacity while designated non-essential retail will be allowed to open with 15 per cent capacity.
There is no longer any restrictions on the goods that can be sold in an essential store.
Malls, however, remain closed to in-person shopping. Only stores featuring street-front entrances will be allowed to open.
Are gyms allowed to open?
Gyms and indoor fitness studios remain closed, however outdoor fitness classes are being allowed to resume with a 10-person cap. This includes personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training.
What’s happening with schools?
Schools remain closed to in-person learning, however the province did say that outdoor graduation ceremonies would be welcome for every grade. Most school boards in Toronto and the GTA have already said they will not be hosting in-person graduations, choosing instead to stick with their pre-planned virtual celebrations.
Schools are expected to resume in-person learning in September
Can I visit my cottage or travel outside my region?
There are no restrictions on in-province travel in Step 1.
Can I get a hair cut?
No. Personal care services are allowed to resume in Step 2 of Ontario’s reopening plan.
Is camping allowed?
Yes. Provincial parks in Ontario will open to overnight camping in Step 1. Provincial parks are also open for day use, however 17 parks will require pre-booking in order to address capacity limits.
What about summer camps?
Day camps for children are allowed to operate as long as they follow proper COVID-19 safety protocols. Overnight camps are not permitted.
What are the rules for religious ceremonies?
Indoor religious ceremonies are allowed with a 15 per cent capacity limit per room.
Outdoor religious services, including weddings and funerals, have no capacity limits. Instead, the government has capped the number of people in attendance based on how many people can be in an area while maintaining physical distancing.
What’s next?
In Step 2, further outdoor activities such as outdoor sports and leagues will resume and some indoor services will start back up. Outdoor gatherings will be expanded to 25 people and indoor gatherings of up to five people will be allowed.
Outdoor waterparks and amusement parks will also open.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
Quebec premier asks police to dismantle camp at McGill University
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has called on the police to dismantle the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the lower field of McGill University's downtown campus in Montreal.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada’s financial-crime watchdog has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.