Ontario will move to the third stage of its tiered reopening plan next Friday. Step 3 allows for more indoor activities including restaurant dining and gym use, while larger crowds are permitted for outdoor activities. Masking and physical distancing rules remain in place. Here's a look at what's permitted starting July 16:
Gatherings and services.
- Indoor social gatherings and events of up to 25 people indoors.
- Outdoor social gatherings and events of up to 100 people, with some exceptions.
- Larger religious services and other ceremonies like weddings and funerals can happen indoors with physical distancing measures in place.
Restaurants, bars and clubs:
- Indoor dining with no set limit on people per table or in the restaurant, as long as physical distancing can be maintained.
- Nightclubs and similar businesses can reopen to a maximum of 250 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever means fewer people inside.
Sports and recreation:
- Sports and fitness facilities like gyms can reopen to 50 per cent capacity indoors.
- Indoor spectator limits are capped at 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, depending on which number is smaller.
- Outdoor spectator limits are capped at 75 per cent capacity or 15,000 people, depending on which number is smaller.
Retail and other indoor business types:
- Retail can open to whatever capacity limit still allows people to maintain two metres of distance between people.
- Personal care services like salons can open to whatever capacity limit allows two metres of distance between people.
- Personal care services that require people remove their masks are permitted.
- Indoor meeting and event spaces can operate with physical distancing rules and a capacity limit of 50 per cent or 1,000 people.
- Real estate open houses are permitted with capacity limits based on maintaining a limit of two metres between people.
Theatres, entertainment venues and other attractions:
- Indoor concert venues, cinemas and theatres can open up to 50 per cent capacity or a maximum of 1,000 people.
- Outdoor concert venues, cinemas and theatres can host audiences at 75 per cent capacity or 15,000 people outdoors for events with fixed seating.
- Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casino and bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions can open to 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2021
The Canadian Press
