Here's when you can expect Ontario to lift COVID restrictions

The provincial government will begin to loosen Ontario restrictions by the end of the month, taking gradual steps towards an eventual full reopening.

On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford announced the province will begin its reopening plan on January 31, through to February and into March, in order to slowly lift restrictions.

“The evidence tells us that the measures we put in place to blunt transmission of Omicron are working,” said Premier Doug Ford in a press release.

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“We can be confident that the worst is behind us and that we are now in a position to cautiously and gradually ease public health measures. While February will continue to present its own challenges, given current trends, these are challenges we are confident we can manage,” Ford said.

From January to March, here’s what to expect:

January 31, 2022

Starting January 31 at 12:01 am, Ontario will start its process of gradually easing restrictions for the following:

• Social gathering limits increasing to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
• Increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50% in indoor public settings like restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance spaces.
  • Retailers, grocery stores, shopping malls and pharmacies
  • Non-spectator sports areas and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
  • Movie theatres and meeting and event spaces
  • Recreational amenities and amusement parks, museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions
  • Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
  • Religious services, rites, or ceremonies
  • Spectator spaces like sporting events, concert venues and theatres operate at 50% seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less

Proof of vaccination would still be required for these areas.

February 21, 2022

As of February 21, Ontario can begin to lift further measures, including:

• Social gathering limits increasing to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
• Capacity limits to be removed in “indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required,” which includes restaurants, indoor sports and gyms, movie theatres
• Allowing capacity at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres to 50%
• “Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance.”
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies are limited to how many people can maintain two metres of distance. If proof of vaccination is required, there is no limit
• Indoor capacity limits increased to 25% in other higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, and bathhouses and sex clubs

An enhanced proof of vaccination would still be required for these areas.

March 14, 2022

Effective March 14, Ontario will finalize its reopening plan and:

• Lift capacity limits in all indoor public settings, but proof of vaccination will still be required in existing settings in addition to other regular measures.
• Lift remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies.
• Social gathering limits increased to 50 people indoors and no limits for outdoors.