On July 29, 2020, the Ontario Government announced more Regions will move to Stage 3 of the Province’s reopening plan.
Specifically, the Regions serviced by the Public Health Units listed below will enter Stage 3 on Friday, July 31 at 12:01 am:
- Toronto Public Health
- Peel Public Health
The Ontario Government also announced that the following Region will remain in Stage 2:
- Windsor-Essex County Public Health Unit
The City of Toronto and Peel Region join the following Regions that moved into Stage 3 on July 17 and 24, 2020:
- Algoma Public Health
- Brant County Health Unit
- Chatham-Kent Public Health
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit
- Grey Bruce Health Unit
- Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
- Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
- Huron Perth Public Health
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health
- Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit
- Middlesex-London Health Unit
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
- Northwestern Health Unit
- Ottawa Public Health
- Peterborough Public Health
- Porcupine Health Unit
- Public Health Sudbury & Districts
- Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit
- Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit
- Southwestern Public Health
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit
- Timiskaming Health Unit
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
- Durham Region Health Department
- Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
- Halton Region Health Department
- Hamilton Public Health Services
- Lambton Health Unit
- Niagara Region Public Health Department
- York Region Public Health Services
Effective Friday, July 17, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., the Province has increased the limit on social gathering for those regions entering the next Stage 3 from 10 to 50 people for indoor gatherings and 100 people for outdoor gatherings. Public gathering limits apply to indoor and outdoor events and are subject to physical distancing requirements. Social circles will be kept to a maximum of 10 people, province-wide, regardless of whether the Region is in Stage 2 or 3. People gathering indoors for religious services, rites or ceremonies, and wedding ceremonies or funeral services, can continue to fill up to 30 per cent of the capacity of the particular room, as introduced in Stage 2.
Businesses and services permitted to reopen with proper health and safety measures in place in regions entering Stage 3 include:
- Indoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, excluding buffet operations;
- Gyms with the proper health and safety measures in place;
- Public attractions with the proper health and safety measures in place, including galleries, libraries, zoos, museums, movie theatres, convention centres, live shows, playgrounds and performing arts venues;
- Casinos, excluding table games;
- Personal care services that involve a customer’s face, including facials and some piercings;
- Organized sports, with the exception of contact sports.
Effective July 27, 2020, child care centers are permitted to operate with cohorts of 15 children, an increase from the current cohort cap of 10 children. This change brings the child care sector to approximately 90 percent of its capacity prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The regions permitted to move into Stage 3 announced on July 29, 2020 can be found here. The Regulation authorizing the stages of re-opening can be found here. The Regulation establishing the rules for areas in Stage 3 can be found here.
If you have any questions about this topic, other COVID-19 related questions, or would like assistance with developing and/or reviewing pandemic plans, please do not hesitate to contact a Mathews Dinsdale lawyer, or refer to the Firm’s COVID-19 website resources.
