Today is the beginning of Ontario’s gradual and phased-in re-opening plan.
Social gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors until at least February 21st.
Indoor venues will still be screening patrons for proof of vaccination prior to entry, however, most businesses will no longer need to collect information for contact tracing.
University students attending school in Thunder Bay will be back in person while college students will not.
Confederation College says there are no immediate plans to return to in-class learning but there will be news this week on the remainder of the semester.
Lakehead University returns to in-class instruction after originally planning to bring it back on January 24.
Ontario hospitals will be taking a phased approach to resume non-urgent surgeries and procedures in pediatrics, diagnostic services, cancer screenings, some ambulatory clinics, private hospitals, and independent health facilities.
The following settings will be capped at 50% capacity (the rule applies to rooms within a facility and not the number of people you can fit in the whole building):
Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)
Shopping malls
Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
Cinemas
Meeting and event spaces
Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks
Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions
Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
Religious services, rites, or ceremonies
The province will enact more re-opening measures on the subsequent dates:
February 21, 2022
Social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
Removing capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities, cinemas, as well as other settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements
Permitting spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres at 50 per cent capacity
Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance
Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies are limited to the number that can maintain two metres of physical distance, with no limit if proof of vaccination is required
Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs
March 14, 2022
Lifting capacity limits in all indoor public settings (proof of vaccination will be maintained in existing settings in addition to other regular measures)
Lifting remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies
Increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings
(With Files From Kevin Jeffrey and Randy Thoms)
