Ontario moving to Step Three of Roadmap to Reopen on July 16, 2021‎

On July 9, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced the province will move into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021. Step Three of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with ‎larger numbers of people.

For more details regarding Ontario’s full three-step Roadmap to Reopen plan, please see our previous bulletin here.

Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen includes but is not limited to:‎

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with ‎limited exceptions;‎
• Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;‎
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral ‎services permitted with physical distancing;‎
• Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical ‎distancing and other restrictions still in effect;‎
• Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per ‎cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of ‎the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for ‎outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, ‎whichever is less;‎
• Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and ‎other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent ‎capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);‎
• Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people ‎that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;‎
• Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, ‎with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance ‎of two metres;‎
• Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, ‎science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural ‎exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity ‎indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors;‎‎
• Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:‎
  • up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for ‎seated events (whichever is less)‎;
  • up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for ‎unseated events (whichever is less);
  • and up to 75 per cent capacity ‎outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating ‎‎(whichever is less).‎
• Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can ‎maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
• Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including ‎nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a ‎maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).

Under Step Three, the majority of businesses in the province will be permitted to open so long as they comply with certain conditions. Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in ‎place throughout Step Three. ‎

The Government of Ontario is also no longer requiring businesses to ensure employees work from home where the employees are able to do so, however, employers should ensure that they continue to comply with any directions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, or their local public health officials on working remotely. In addition, employers will still be expected, at a minimum, to continue all COVID-19 related workplace health and safety measures, including but not limited to workplace screening, enhanced hygiene practices, physical distancing, and face coverings.

The province will remain in Step Three of the Roadmap for at least 21 days. After that time, if certain vaccination thresholds are met and key public health and health care indicators remain stable, the vast majority of public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and limits for social gatherings, will be lifted. The Government of Ontario has indicated that in Step Four, only a small number of measures will remain in place, such as the requirement for passive screening patrons, such as posting a sign, and businesses requiring a safety plan.

The COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving with new measures being adopted or modified at both the federal and provincial level. For further information, please consult our Coronavirus Resource Centre or contact any member of our DLA Piper Canadian Employment and Labour Law Service Group, who will ensure that you are acting upon the most up-to-date information.

This article provides only general information about legal issues and developments, and is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Please see our disclaimer for more details.