Premier Announces Updated Reopening Plans and Vaccine Passport Removal Date

Monday, 14 February 2022 10:15

Ontario will enter the next stage of reopening this Thursday. If the public health indicators continue to improve from there, all capacity limits and the vaccine passport will be eliminated on March 1st. Masking requirements will remain in effect.

ONTARIO - Some big news from the province this morning.

Premier Doug Ford has announced that Ontario will enter the next stage of reopening on Thursday February 17th and you can find more details below.

- Increasing social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
- Increasing organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors
- Removing capacity limits in the following indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to:
   - Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
   - Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
   - Cinemas
   - Meeting and event spaces, including conference centres or convention centres
   - Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
   - Indoor areas of settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
- Allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity at sports arenas
- Allowing 50 percent of the usual seating capacity for concert venues and theatres
- Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, restaurants where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs
- Increasing capacity limits for indoor weddings, funerals or religious services, rites, or ceremonies to the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance. Capacity limits are removed if the location opts-in to use proof of vaccination or if the service, rite, or ceremony is occurring outdoors.

The capacity limit for grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping malls and other indoor settings will be based on how well the patrons can maintain physical distancing within the building.

Kids between the ages of 12 and 17 will also be eligible for their COVID-19 booster dose starting this Friday. They will be able to get the Pfizer vaccine at a local pharmacy or vaccination clinic as long as it has been 168 days since their second dose.

The biggest change is coming on Tuesday March 1st, if the public health indicators continue to improve. The province is planning to lift all of the capacity limits for indoor public settings and eliminate the vaccine passport system. This means you will not have to worry about showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination if you want to go to the gym, so see a movie, dine in at a restaurant. However, businesses will be able to keep requiring proof of vaccination if they choose to do so.

During his press conference this morning, Premier Ford stated that the masking requirements will remain in effect at this time.

"Based on the advice of Dr. Moore and what we have learned over the pandemic, we will need to keep masking in place for just a little bit longer. This is an important layer of protection that will allow us to proceed with our reopening plan safely."

Ford did not give a date as to when the masking requirements could be lifted.