Ontario Maintains COVID-19 Restrictions as Stay-at-Home Order is Set to Expire

As was previously announced, Ontario’s Stay-at-Home order will expire on June 2, 2021. When it does, all other public health and workplace measures will remain in place provincewide until Ontario enters Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen, at which point some restrictions will ease with an initial focus on outdoor settings.

On April 7, 2021, in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission driven by new, more contagious variants, the Ontario government declared a provincial emergency and issued a Stay-at-Home order as well as enhanced public health measures. In a concentrated effort to reduce mobility and opportunities for transmission, the Stay-At-Home order required Ontarians to remain at home except for the purposes set out in the order, such as exercise, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, or accessing health care services. Once the Stay-at-Home order expires on June 2, these restrictions will no longer be in effect.

However, all other existing measures will remain in place provincewide, including restrictions on gatherings, businesses, services and activities. This includes limiting indoor gatherings to households only and outdoor gatherings to up to five people, subject to limited exceptions, maintaining a cap of 25 per cent capacity for essential retail where only certain goods are permitted to be sold, restricting non-essential retail to curbside pickup and delivery only, as well as limiting short-term rentals to individuals in need of housing and allowing Ontario Parks and campgrounds on public lands to be used for day-use only, subject to limited exceptions.

Ontarians will be able to leave home to travel within the province to a secondary residence for any reason, however, they are not be permitted to host members of another household indoors except for a person from another household who lives alone or a caregiver.

A simple, easy-to-understand summary of restrictions can be found on the province’s “Reopening Ontario” webpage, which provides details on what public health measures are in place before the province enters Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen. As always, anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who may be exhibiting symptoms of the virus should use the province’s self-assessment tool to determine what they should do next, including getting a test and isolating if necessary.

With the expiry of the Stay-at-Home order, emergency order O. Reg 266/21 (Residential Evictions) will also expire on June 2, 2021. Emergency orders currently in effect under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act have been extended until June 16, 2021:

• O. Reg. 8/21 Enforcement of COVID-19 Measures
• O. Reg. 55/21 Compliance Orders for Retirement Homes
• O. Reg. 271/21 Work Redeployment for Local Health Integration Networks and Ontario Health
• O. Reg. 272/21 Transfer of Hospital Patients
• O. Reg. 288/21 Closure of Public Lands for Recreational Camping
• O. Reg. 293/21 Persons Entering Ontario From Manitoba or Quebec
• O. Reg. 304/21 Work Redeployment for Independent Health Facilities
• O. Reg. 305/21 Regulated Health Professionals
• O. Reg. 317/21 Agreements Between Health Service Providers and Retirement Homes

Reopening Ontario

Guiding principles

Step 1

An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower, and permitting retail with restrictions. This includes:

• outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people
• outdoor dining with up to four people per table
• non-essential retail at 15% capacity

Step 2

Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people and with face coverings being worn. This includes:

• outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people
• outdoor sports and leagues
• overnight camps
• personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits
• indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15% capacity

Step 3

Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are larger numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes:

• indoor sports and recreational fitness
• indoor dining
• museums, art galleries and libraries
• casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits

Moving through the steps

The province will remain at each step for at least 21 days to evaluate any impacts on key public health and health system indicators.

At the end of the 21 days, we will evaluate vaccination rates and look for positive trends in other key public health and health system indicators.

If trends in key public health and health system indicators are positive, the province will move to the next step two weeks after the following vaccination thresholds have been met:

• Step 1: 60% of adults vaccinated with one dose
• Step 2: 70% of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20% vaccinated with two doses
• Step 3: 70 to 80% of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25% vaccinated with two doses