Ontario has announced its plan to move out of COVID-19 restrictions, including dropping vaccine mandates March 1st.
Effective this Thursday, February 17th, social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
Organized public events will have limits of 50 people indoors, and no limit outdoors.
Capacity limits will be removed at indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including at restaurants, bars without dance facilities, gyms, movie theatres, and casinos.
Also this Thursday, Ontario will allow 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity at sports arenas, concert venues and theatres.
On March 1st, the government plans to lift all capacity limits, and drop vaccine mandates.
Businesses and other settings may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination.
Masking requirements will remain in place at this time, with a specific timeline to lift this measure to be communicated at a later date.
To manage COVID-19 over the long-term, public health units can deploy local and regional responses based on local context and conditions.
“Thanks to the efforts of Ontarians to help blunt the transmission of Omicron, our health care indicators suggest a general improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the province,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “We are now in a position to lift more public health measures, but it is important to stay vigilant, as we don’t want to cause any further disruption to people’s everyday lives. We must continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities by following the measures in place and by vaccinating those who have not yet received their doses.”
The province is also announcing that youth aged 12 to 17 can book booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as of 8 a.m. on Friday.