Ontario will start lifting public health restrictions at the end of this month.
Restrictions will be scaled back every 21 days starting Jan. 31 to allow for health indicators to be assessed. Proof of vaccination will be required in indoor settings like restaurants and gyms at all stages of the reopening plan. Here’s a look at what will change and when:
Jan. 31:
- Social gatherings can increase to a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
- Indoor public settings including restaurants, bars, retail stores, malls, gyms, cinemas, meeting and event spaces, museums, galleries and similar attractions, casinos and gaming establishments and religious services can open to 50 per cent capacity.
- Spectator areas of sporting events, concert venues and theatres can operate with no more than 500 people, with smaller venues limited to half capacity.
- Proof-of-vaccination will be required in settings that have asked for it before.
Feb. 21:
- Social gatherings will be limited to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
- Spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues and theatres will be capped at 50 per cent.
- Capacity limits will lift in indoor public settings that require proof of vaccination like restaurants, gyms and cinemas. Settings that choose to require proof of vaccination can open without capacity limits, too.
- Most indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required must limit capacity to whether people can maintain two metres of distance from each other.
- Indoor religious services and ceremonies are limited to the number of people who can stay two metres apart from each other, but there is no capacity limit if the setting requires proof of vaccination.
- Nightclubs, wedding receptions in spaces with dancing, bathhouses and sex clubs must limit capacity to 25 per cent and maintain proof of vaccination rules.
March 14:
- Capacity limits will lift for all indoor public settings and religious services.
- Proof of vaccination will still be required in places that currently require it.
- Social gatherings will be limited to 50 people indoors with no limits on outdoors gatherings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2022.
The Canadian Press
