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Letter from Minister MacLeod: Roadmap to Reopen

May 21, 2021

Friends,

It has been an incredibly tough 14 months for our heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries; you were all hit first, the hardest and are expected to take the longest to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, I was pleased to host a technical briefing with my team and the Ministry of Health that saw more than 1,300 of our industry leaders and sectoral partners join in to learn more about new measures to safely reopen the province and get people back to work.

Our government, in consultation with Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, released the Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures. Additionally, in response to recent improvements in public health and health system indicators, Ontario will also reopen outdoor recreational amenities with restrictions in place, effective May 22, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.

I’d like to provide an update on these steps and what they mean for our heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries:

Step One

Step One of the roadmap may begin after 60 per cent of Ontario’s adults receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and if public health indicators, such as hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and new admissions and case rates indicate the province can safely move to this step of the roadmap. Based on current trends, the government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021.

Step One will permit the resumption of more outdoor activities with smaller, well-managed crowds where risk of transmission is minimized and will permit retail, all with restrictions in place, including but not limited to:

  • 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
  • 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

Step Two

Ontario will remain in Step One for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent of adults with two doses and there are positive trends in public health and health system indicators, Ontario will move to Step Two.

Step Two will further expand outdoor activities and will resume limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn, with other restrictions in place, including but not limited to:

  • Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people
  • Indoor gatherings up to 5 people and other restrictions
  • Outdoor dining up to 6 people per table
  • Outdoor sports and leagues
  • Overnight camps
  • Outdoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits
  • Outdoor cinemas and performing arts with capacity limits
  • Horse racing and motor speedways for spectators with capacity limits
  • Outdoor tour and guide services with capacity limits
  • Public libraries with capacity limits
  • Outdoor waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits
  • Fairs and rural exhibitions with capacity limits

Step Three

Ontario will remain in Step Two for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of adults with one dose and 25 per cent of adults with two and positive trends in public health and health system indicators continue, Ontario will move to Step Three.

Step Three will permit the resumption of indoor services with larger numbers of people, with restrictions in place, including but not limited to:

  • Outdoor gatherings with larger capacity limits
  • Indoor gatherings with larger capacity limits and other restrictions
  • Indoor dining with capacity limits
  • Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities with capacity limits
  • Indoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits
  • Indoor cinemas and performing arts facilities with capacity limits
  • Indoor museums and art galleries with capacity limits
  • Indoor zoos, aquariums, waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits
  • Casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits

Our government will continue to work with our sectors to help inform safe reopening plans.

More detailed information is available through the government’s news release and backgrounders available below and a Q/A document will be issued to address additional questions from yesterday’s technical briefing.

Roadmap to Reopening – News Release

Roadmap to Reopening – Backgrounder

Together, we will ensure the province re-emerges as a global leader ready to reconnect Ontarians with all we have to offer.

Kindest regards,

Honourable Lisa MacLeod

Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries