Well, it's official, the Ford government has dropped their updated timeline for when restrictions will ease up in Ontario, and it's starting on Thursday.
As of February 17, at 12:01 a.m., a slew of public health measures will be lifted in Ontario, which will affect capacity limits and gathering sizes.
Gatherings will bump up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Organized public events will also be capped at 50 people indoors, but with no limits for how many people can attend outdoors.
Capacity limits will be completely removed at settings where proof of vaccination is required, which includes (but is not limited to) the following:
- Restaurants, bars, and other similar establishments without dance floors
- Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, like gyms
- Movie theatres
- Meeting and event spaces, like conference centres or convention centres
- Casinos, bingo halls, and other similar gaming establishments
- Indoor areas of settings that choose to opt in for proof of vaccination requirements
Higher-risk settings like nightclubs, restaurants with dance floors, bathhouses and sex clubs will be able to run at 25% of their usual indoor capacities.
Capacity limits for indoor weddings, funerals, or religious services will also expand so long as two metres of physical distancing can still take place. But, if these venues opt in for proof of vaccination, or if it's an outdoor service, the capacity limits will be completely scrapped.
As for the remaining capacity limits like grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping malls, limits will stay as they were or increase to the number of people that can accommodate physical distancing.
So, when will the rest of the public health measures ease up?
On March 1, the Ford government is projected to lift proof of vaccine requirements for all settings that ask for it. However, masking will remain in place.
