Reopening Ontario After COVID-19
Ontario will be rolling out its reopening of the province in a staged approach. With each stage, measures will slowly be loosened and more workplace and public spaces will be opened. The results of these less strict measures will be carefully monitored and will help to determine whether the province is ready to move on to the next stage or not.
Stage 1
In the first stage, we will consider:
- opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines
- allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people
- opening some outdoor spaces
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Stage 2
In the second stage, we will consider:
- opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans
- opening more public spaces
- allowing some larger public gatherings
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Stage 3
In the final stage, we will consider:
- opening all workplaces responsibly
- relaxing restrictions on public gatherings
- continued protections for vulnerable populations
Considerations for each stage
To reopen the economy, we will consider factors such as the risk of the spread of COVID-19 and the ability to implement protective and preventative measures in the workplace. The Chief Medical Officer of Health and health experts will advise the government on when it may begin to ease public health measures using a range of criteria, including:
- a consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases
- sufficient acute and critical care capacity, including access to ventilators and ongoing availability of personal protective equipment
- approximately 90% of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by local public health officials within one day, with guidance and direction to contain community spread
- ongoing testing of suspected COVID-19 cases, especially of vulnerable populations, to detect new outbreaks quickly
For this plan to be successful it is critical that we all do our part by washing our hands, avoiding non-essential trips, and staying safe!
Learn more about the reopening plan here.
