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Ontario to enter step 2 of reopening plan on June 30

A photo of people dining on a patio in Toronto

Hair salons can finally reopen in Ontario when the province enters step 2 of the reopening plan on June 30.

Outdoor gathering limits will also be increased from 10 to 25 people and indoor gatherings of up to five people will be permitted under the new set of rules.

In a statement on Thursday morning, the government said the province was beginning the second step of the economic reopening earlier than the original July 2 target date thanks to a successful vaccination campaign.

To enter step two, the province needed to have 70 per cent of adults with one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 20 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks. As of June 23, more than 76 per cent of Ontarians 18 and older have had one dose and more than 29 per cent have had two doses.

Ontario has actually surpassed the step three vaccination targets of 25 per cent of eligible adults fully vaccinated, but the province would remain in step 2 for a period of 21 days “to allow the most recent vaccinations to reach their full effectiveness and to evaluate any impacts of moving to Step Two on key public health and health care indicators,” the government said.

In step 2, non-essential retail can operate at 25 per cent capacity, restaurants and bars can seat up to six people per table on patios, overnight camps for children can resume, and outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas can operate with 25 per cent capacity.

A list of the major step 2 rules is below and read the full regulations here.

  • Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
  • Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to five people;
  • Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity;
  • Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
  • Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions;
  • Outdoor dining with up to six people per table, with exceptions for larger households and other restrictions;
  • Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of the particular room;
  • Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain three metres of physical distance;
  • Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions;
  • Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
  • Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
  • Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
  • Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
  • Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.

Other public health indicators have improved since the province entered step 1 on June 11.

Between June 11 and 17, the provincial COVID-19 case rate decreased by 24.6 per cent. As of June 22, there were 305 patients in intensive care units, including 10 patients from Manitoba, as compared to 450 two weeks ago. The government expects the positive trends to continue.

@nowtoronto

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