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
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.