Based on the province-wide vaccination rate and continuing improvements in keypublic health and health system indicators, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, moved the province into Step One of its Roadmap to reopen on June 11, 2021.
“Thanks to the ongoing success of Team Ontario’s vaccine rollout and the ongoing improvements in public health trends, we are able to enter step one of the Roadmap and begin to safely and cautiously lift restrictions,” said Premier Doug Ford. “The only reason we’re able to do so is because of the enormous sacrifices made by individuals, families and communities across Ontario. As we begin to enjoy the benefits of the first step in our roadmap like meeting friends on a patio or visiting your favourite local store, please do so safely by continuing to follow all public health guidelines.”
In order to safely enter Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 60 per cent of adults with at least one dose for two weeks or longer, ensuring the first dose offers a strong level of protection against COVID-19.
As of June, 6,72 per cent of the 18+ population in Ontario had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with over 10 million doses now having been administered.
Before entering Step One, the province also needed to see continued improvement in key public health and health system indicators. During the period of May 25 to 31, 2021, the provincial case rate decreased by 35.1 per cent. As of June 6, the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs is 497, including 31 patients from Manitoba, as compared to 687 two weeks ago.
The province’s situation is currently exceeding the best-case scenario presented in recent modeling, which indicated the province would reach below 1,000 new daily infections by June 30, 2021. The province expects these trends to continue over the coming days before entering Step One.
Step One of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities with smaller crowds where risk of transmission is lower. It will also permit more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place. Indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services limited to 15 per cent capacity, will also be permitted.
Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen includes but is not limited to:
-Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;
-Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 15 per cent capacity of the particular room;
-Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
-Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
-Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger household.