Ontario moving to Step One of reopening plan on June 11

On June 7, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced the province will move into Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 11, 2021.

Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen permits the resumption of outdoor activities with ‎smaller groups where the risk of transmission is low. Step One will also allow certain ‎indoor settings to be open so long as restrictions to limit transmissions are still followed.

For more details regarding Ontario’s full three-step Roadmap to Reopen plan, please see our previous bulletin here.

Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen includes but is not limited to:‎

• Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety ‎guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of ‎Health;‎
• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;‎
• Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and ‎funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical ‎distance of two metres;‎
• Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and ‎funeral services permitted at up to 15 percent capacity of the particular room;‎
• Non-essential retail permitted at 15 percent capacity, with no restrictions on the ‎goods that can be sold;‎
• Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 percent capacity, with no ‎restrictions on the goods that can be sold;‎
• Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger ‎households;‎
• Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor ‎individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other ‎restrictions;‎
• Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and ‎short-term rentals;‎
• Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of ‎rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, ‎theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, ‎among other restrictions;‎
• Outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without ‎spectators; and
• Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with ‎capacity and other restrictions.‎

Businesses that have not been specifically permitted to reopen under the plan for Step One must remain closed. Under the rules for Step One, workplaces must also continue to ensure that all employees who can work remotely, do so. In addition, employers will still be expected, at a minimum, to continue all COVID-19 related workplace health and safety measures, including but not limited to workplace screening, enhanced hygiene practices, physical distancing, and face coverings.

For further information, please consult our ‎Coronavirus Resource ‎Centre or feel free to ‎contact any member of our DLA Piper Canadian Employment and ‎Labour Law Service ‎Group, who will ‎‎ensure that you are acting upon the most up-to-date information.

This article provides only general information about legal issues and developments, and is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Please see our disclaimer for more details.