This is the beginning of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The phased approach became official as of 12:01 a.m. Friday with Ontario lifting restrictions on gatherings, shopping and camps.
Here are the Step One measures province-wide:
- Outdoor gatherings up to 10 people
- Outdoor dining up to 4 people per table
- Outdoor fitness classes, personal training and sports training up to 10 people
- Essential retail at 25 per cent capacity and can sell all goods (including discount and big box)
- Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity
- Retail stores in malls closed unless the stores have a street facing entrance
- Outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing
- Horse racing and motor speedways without spectators
- Outdoor horse riding
- Outdoor pools, splash pads and wading pools with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing
- Outdoor zoos, landmarks, historic sites, and botanical gardens with capacity limits
- Campsites, campgrounds and short-term rentals
- Ontario Parks
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay officials say that operations at McKellar Mall will include a screened public access for essential businesses and food service take-out will only be available through the doors by Renco Home Foods.
At Intercity Shopping Centre, officials say that non-essential stories with exterior entrances will only be open to serve guests. Essential retailers and services will continue to be open, some by appointment only.
Also on Friday you can access Trowbridge and Chippewa Campgrounds, the outdoor patio at Chapples Golf Course and outdoor fitness at select community centres.
Outdoor recreation will be allowed in groups of ten people and individuals must maintain at least three metres of distance from anyone else.
Later in the month the Prince Arthur’s Landing Splash Pad will be made available (June 15) in addition to splash pads at County Park, Franklin Street, and North End Park (June 19).
The outdoor pools at Heath Park and Art Widnall are scheduled to open by June 25 while Sandy Beach (Chippewa) and Boulevard Lake Beach will also be made available on the 25th.
Summer camps and the playgrounds program could start up July 5.
Dr. Janet DeMille
The Medical Officer of Health with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit Dr. Janet DeMille is in favour of the phased approach, with each stage lasting a minimum of 21 days.
“I really very much appreciate that a lot of it is focused on outdoors,” remarked DeMille. “Starting the reopening that allows us to have more interactions with one another outdoors is a good thing.”
DeMille added: “The government is prepared to move those steps a little faster, depending on some of the numbers. It remains to be seen how that will pan out.”
Heading into Friday, the Thunder Bay unit confirmed 51 active cases of COVID-19.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon
With just four active cases entering Friday, the Northwestern Health Unit’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon recognizes the good case situation.
“I encourage everyone continues to follow public health measures at this time, especially as we still have few people who don’t have their second doses (of the vaccine),” noted Young Hoon. “Follow physical distancing measures, good hand hygiene, wearing a face mask in enclosed spaces or within two meters of others.”
The doctor continued: “One of the key things (that has come up with the Delta variant) is that protection is best from two doses and that one dose will not provide adequate protection, particularly for this variant. This variant is known to transmit quickly and has been seen in other parts of the province and Manitoba.”
With files from Sarah McCarthy, CKDR News
