The Niagara Region – including the communities of Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln – will enter Stage 3 of the Ontario governments reopening plan, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday.
Ford made the official announcement at Queen’s Park at 1 p.m. today (Monday, July 20), with Health Minister Christine Elliott and Finance Minister Rod Phillips.
By Friday, 31 of Ontario’s 34 public health units will be in Stage 3.
The following regions of Ontario are expected to enter Stage 3 this Friday (July 24 at 12:01 a.m.)
- Niagara Region
- York Region
- Durham Region
- Halton Region
- Hamilton
- Haldimand-Norfolk
- Lambton
Toronto, Peel Region and Windsor-Essex will not move to Stage 3 yet. The decision to keep these areas in Stage 2, for now, is an effort to combat small outbreaks in the areas. They are the source of the majority of new COVID-19 cases in the province.
Here are the revised rules under Stage 3 fro Ontario communities.
- Gathering limits increase to up to 50 people when indoors. When groups are gathered outdoors the maximum is 100 people.
- Indoor dining can resume at restaurants and bars. (Indoor dining for buffet restaurants is excluded.)
- Gyms will be permitted to reopen with strict safety and health measures in place.
- Live performing arts shows are permitted subject to gathering limits.
- Movie theatres and playgrounds can also reopen subject to gathering limits.
- All other businesses will be able to resume operations if required province mandated health and safety measures are in place. However, the following operations will not be allowed to resume, under Stage 3:
- Amusement parks and water parks
- Buffet-style food services
- Dancing at restaurants and bars, other than by performers hired by the establishment following specific requirements
- Overnight stays at camps for children
- Private karaoke rooms
- Prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports
- Saunas, steam rooms, bathhouses and oxygen bars
- Table games at casinos and gaming establishments.
Toronto, Peel and Windsor Essex account for 78 of the 135 newly reported COVID-19 cases reported Monday morning. In Ottawa, 20 more cases were added to the tally.
The new cases increase Ontario infections by 0.4 per cent. That is marginally above what’s been reported in recent weeks.
Ontario has recorded 37,739 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic started in January. Almost 90 per cent are resolved.
Learn More:
Stage 3 PDF – Ontario government