Covid-19 Bulletin No.47: Reopening The Province By March 2022

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has released a plan to safely re-open Ontario that will manage COVID-19 for the long term. The plan outlines the province’s gradual approach to lifting the remaining public health and workplace safety measures by March 2022.

Ontario will slowly lift all remaining public health and workplace safety measures, including the provincial requirement for proof of vaccination and wearing of face coverings in indoor public settings, over the next six months. The phased approach will be guided by the ongoing assessment and monitoring of key public health and health care indicators, such as the identification of any new COVID-19 variants or increases in hospitalizations and ICU occupancy.

What restrictions be lifted on October 25, 2021?

In response to continued improvements to key indicators, including ongoing stability in the province’s hospitals, effective Monday, October 25, 2021, the province will lift capacity limits in a number of settings where proof of vaccination is required, such as restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments; indoor areas of sports and recreational facilities such as gyms; casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments; and indoor meeting and event spaces.

The province also announced that they will also allow other settings to lift their capacity limits and physical distancing requirements if they choose to require proof of vaccination, including:

• Personal care services;
• Indoor areas of museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions;
• Indoor areas of amusement parks;
• Indoor areas of fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals;
• Indoor areas of marinas and boating clubs;
• Indoor clubhouses at outdoor recreational amenities;
• Open house events provided by real estate agencies; and
• Indoor areas of photography studios and services.

Locations, where a wedding, funeral or religious service or ceremony takes place, may also implement proof of vaccination requirements, should they wish to do so.

The Proposed Timeline for Re-Opening

On or around November 15, 2021, the province intends to lift capacity limits in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including food or drink establishments with dance facilities (e.g., night clubs and wedding receptions in meeting/event spaces where there is dancing).

On or around January 17, 2022, provided there are no concerning trends in public health and health care following the winter holiday months, the province intends to begin gradually lifting capacity limits in settings where proof of vaccination is not required. Proof of vaccination requirements may also begin to be gradually lifted at this time, including for restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments, facilities used for sports and recreational facilities and casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments.

On or around March 28, 2022, the province intends to lift all remaining public health and workplace safety measures, including wearing face coverings in indoor public settings. Recommendations may be released for specific settings, where appropriate. Further, the requirement to provide proof of vaccination will be lifted for all remaining settings, including meeting and event spaces, sporting events, concerts, theatres, cinemas etc.

To manage COVID-19, data and input from local and regional public health units will be obtained. In the event that there are concerning trends, public health measures may be applied locally and could include re-introducing capacity limits and/or physical distancing requirements, reducing gathering limits, and requiring proof of vaccination in certain settings. Public health measures will only be implemented provincially in exceptional circumstances, such as when the province’s health system is at risk of becoming overwhelmed.

Please refer to our previous COVID-19 Bulletins, which contain information on recommended protocols and procedures that may be implemented at condominiums.

Please ensure that you speak with legal counsel if your condominium does not already have COVID-19 protocols and policies in place to help manage the risks associated with COVID-19.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone on our team:

All of the information contained in this article is of a general nature for informational purposes only and is not intended to represent the definitive opinion of the firm of Elia Associates on any particular matter. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate and up-to-date, the reader should not act upon it without obtaining appropriate professional advice and assistance.