Hair cuts are back, store capacities are expanding, and more people can gather together outside as the province enters the next stage of the reopening plan.
Starting today, up to 6 people can sit together for outdoor dining, non-essential retail capacity expands to 25 percent, and stores in malls can reopen.
For sports fans, outdoor games can be held and outdoor horse racing and motor speedways also reopen at 25 percent capacity.
Locally, the Fort Erie Racetrack will start welcoming back limited spectators on July 12th.
Outdoor cinemas, performing arts, and live music events can also start up again at 25 percent capacity.
Although the province has already reached the vaccination targets to move into the next stage of reopening, provincial officials say Ontario may remain in Stage 2 for 21 days to measure the impact easing the restrictions has on the spread of COVID-19.
There are other factors also considered when moving to the next stage, including hospitalization numbers and daily case tallies.
Today's changes include:
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events for up to 25 people
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events for up to 5 people
- Outdoor dining for up to 6 people per table
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 50% capacity
- Non-essential retail capacity at 25%
- Stores in shopping malls open, with restrictions
- Larger indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services at 25% capacity
- Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres
- Overnight camps
- Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times at 25% capacity
- Outdoor fitness classes are capped at the number of people who can maintain 3 metres of distance
- Public libraries permitted at 25% capacity
- Outdoor meeting and event spaces at 25% capacity
- Outdoor amusement and water parks at 25% capacity
- Outdoor sports games, leagues and events at 25% capacity
- Outdoor cinemas, performing arts, live music events and attractions at 25% capacity
- Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways at 25% capacity