Ontario reveals plan to lift all COVID-19 restrictions by March next year
The Ontario government has unveiled its long awaited plan to slowly lift public health restrictions as the COVID-19 situation in the province continues to level off.
In an announcement made Friday, and as previously reported by CTV News Toronto, the province said that it would lift capacity limits in restaurants, fitness centres, casinos and a number of other non-essential indoor settings that require proof of vaccination starting Monday.
"We're sticking with what's worked for our province," Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference. "This is a cautious plan. It slowly lifts public health measures over time, allowing us to monitor any impacts on our hospitals and in our communities. It provides Ontarians and businesses with the certainty they need to make the plans of their own."
Businesses that offer personal care services, like salons and barber shops, can also lift their capacity limits on Oct. 25, but only if they choose to opt-in to the vaccination certificate program.
Capacity limits will continue to lift in other “high-risk” settings in the following months, including at restaurants and bars with dancing facilities, night clubs and strip clubs.
The long-term plan to manage the spread of COVID-19 will continue into January when the province will begin to lift vaccine certificate requirements in settings the government deems as lower risk.
Beginning on January 17, 2022 and barring “concerning trends” of virus transmission, restaurants, sporting facilities and casinos will be able to host patrons without checking their vaccination status. Those measures will continue to ease in other settings in the months that follow.
Also, starting on March 28 and onwards, the government says that all remaining public health and workplace safety measures in businesses and organizations will lift, including the requirement to wear a mask indoors.
At that time, the Progressive Conservative government says that it plans to revoke public health emergency orders made under the Reopening Ontario Act and will table recommendations on where masking could be maintained in places such transit.
The government said it will continue to monitor trends of virus spread both locally and provincially as the province returns to a full reopening. Some of those key indicators include new hospital and ICU admissions related to COVID-19, positivity rates, the effective reproduction number, and vaccination coverage rates.
Should Ontario encounter a spike in case numbers or hospitalization rates at a provincial or local level, the government says it is willing to reintroduce capacity limits, proof of vaccination requirements, or public health and workplace safety measures in settings where transmission is occurring.
"While we are optimistic about the future, the province will continue to monitor the situation very closely, and we will respond quickly to protect Ontarians health should the need arise," Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said.
In modelling presented by Ontario’s science table on Friday, the group advising the Ford government said that COVID-19 case counts are expected to remain stable over the next month, but only if public health measures are not lifted.
Those measures include masking, a proof-of-vaccination system, symptom screening and good ventilation and filtration in indoor settings.
The group said that COVID-19 cases in Ontario are declining in most public health units provincewide thanks to vaccinations and continued public health measures.
As it stands, 83 per cent of Ontario's eligible population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Here's why experts don't think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai's downpour
Scientists say it's highly unlikely cloud seeding is responsible for the heavy rains that have caused flooding in the United Arab Emirates this month, and that climate change is the more likely culprit.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.