Some good news for select business owners in northwestern Ontario.
The province is entering Friday Stage 2 in its reopening plans in most areas outside of the Greater Toronto Area. Those within the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area are included in that plan.
Public and private gatherings will be expanded from 5 to 10.
Churches will be allowed to open at 30% capacity.
Here is a list of what will be allowed to open on Friday.
Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent properties;
Select personal and personal care services with the proper health and safety measures in place, including tattoo parlours, barber shops, hair salons and beauty salons;
Shopping malls under existing restrictions, including food services reopening for take-out and outdoor dining only
Tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours, as well as tasting and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries
Water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools
Beach access and additional camping at Ontario Parks
Camping at private campgrounds
Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing
Drive-in and drive-through venues for theatres, concerts, animal attractions and cultural appreciation, such as art installations
Film and television production activities, with limits to enable physical distancing
Weddings and funerals, with limits on social gatherings to 10 people.
Premier Doug Ford says an update on childcare centre reopenings will be provided today.
“Entering Stage 2 means parts of the province will see more people back on the job and an opportunity to get back together with friends and family,” says Ford. “Although this is extremely encouraging, I urge everyone to exercise caution and continue to follow public health advice as we are not out of the woods yet.”
“As a result of efforts of all Ontarians to stop the spread of COVID-19, many regions have met the criteria to move into the next stage of our reopening plan, including a decrease in new daily cases and sufficient hospital capacity in the event of any spikes in cases or outbreaks,” says Ontario Health Ministers Christine Elliott.
Health officials in Ontario recorded 243 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, the lowest number of new infections since late March.
