This is when Ontario will lift its remaining COVID-19 restrictions
The Ontario government has unveiled its timeline for lifting all remaining COVID-19 restrictions and policies. The move comes two years into a pandemic that has resulted in the death of more than 12,000 Ontarians and has dramatically upended life in the province.
Here are the highlights:
March 14 – Mandatory vaccination policies end
- The mandatory vaccination policy for employees in long-term care homes is lifted.
- A directive requiring that unvaccinated workers in hospitals and other high-risk healthcare settings partake in a regular rapid testing program is lifted.
- Letters of instruction to the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility are revoked. This will mean that those sectors will no longer be required to have vaccination policies that, at a minimum, require unvaccinated workers to partake in an educational course on the benefits of vaccination.
March 21 – Most mask requirements lifted
- Masking requirements will be removed in most settings, except public transit, long-term care and retirement homes, health-care settings, congregate care settings, shelters and jails.
- Remaining measures in schools, including cohorting ands on-site symptom screening, are removed.
- Remaining regulatory requirements for businesses are removed, including passive screening and the need to have a COVID-19 safety plan.
March 28 – Reopening Ontario Act expires
- The Reopening Ontario Act expires but the remaining orders associated with the act are extended for 30 days
April 27 – All remaining mask requirements are lifted
- Mask requirements are removed in all remaining settings
- All remaining orders under the Reopening Ontario Act expire
- Remaining health-care directives are lifted, including one legally requiring that health-care workers interacting with suspected COVID-19 patients wear a well-fitted N95 mask. The Ministry of Health will, however, still direct health-care workers to wear personal protective equipment, likely still including N95 masks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6970476.1721410082!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
The CrowdStrike outage is affecting heath-care services in Canada. Here's what you need to know
A global technology outage that's grounded flights and delayed border crossings is also challenging health-care services in the country, as issues with Microsoft services persist.
Quebec woman's death warns of dangers of cosmetic surgery abroad
Brian McConnell's daughter, Florence McConnell, died after a liposuction surgery complication in Morocco. Now, he warns others against undergoing cosmetic surgeries abroad.
BREAKING Tentative deal to end LCBO strike on hold as province accuses union of introducing new demands
The LCBO strike appears to be back on just hours after a tentative agreement was announced.
opinion Trump's assassination attempt not a political winner
Danger and fear are so pervasive throughout the national political ethos it is now the norm, writes Washington political columnist Eric Ham.
'I feel cheated': Here are the products hit hardest by shrinkflation
Canadians who feel like they are getting less bang for their buck at the grocery store these days might be right. A new report shows the effects of shrinkflation are real.
Saskatchewan Party candidate for nomination withdraws, apologizes for putting child in blackface
A former prospective Saskatchewan Party nominee has apologized for putting a student in blackface.
Canadian flights, hospitals, border disrupted during global technology outage
A global technology outage grounded flights, disrupted hospitals and backed up border crossings in Canada on Friday, as issues persisted hours after problems with Microsoft services were said to be getting fixed.
WeCook ready-to-eat meatball dish recalled over possible Listeria contamination
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling a WeCook ready-to-eat meatball dish due to possible Listeria contamination.
Proposed class-action lawsuit filed over Calgary water main break
A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed against the City of Calgary, claiming businesses needlessly lost significant revenue due to a water main break.