Ontario will be moving to the next step of its COVID-19 reopening plan on Thursday, four days ahead of schedule, and will lift proof of vaccination requirements at the beginning of March.
“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave we are able to fast track our reopening plan,” Ford said in a statement.
Ontario moving to next phase of COVID-19 reopening plan on Feb. 17, will lift vaccine passport in March
As of Feb. 17, social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Capacity limits will be lifted at most indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required. This includes restaurants, meeting and event spaces, gaming establishments and “non-spectator areas” of gyms and cinemas.
Seating capacity at sport and concert venues, as well as movie theatres, will be 50 per cent.
In higher-risk settings such as nightclubs, restaurants with dancing, bathhouses and sex clubs, indoor capacity is 25 per cent. Proof of vaccination is required.
For indoor religious services that require proof of vaccination, capacity limits have been lifted. If proof of vaccination is not required, the facility may have as many people as can fit with physical distancing.
For grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail stores, capacity limits will be capped at “the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance.”
Vaccine requirements in industries such as long-term care and health care will remain in place for now, the premier added.
Masking requirements will remain in place, officials said.