Most of Ontario COVID-19 restrictions are lifting in March. Here's what you need to know
Nearly all of Ontario’s major COVID-19 restrictions will lift this week, bringing the province the closest it’s been to pre-pandemic life.
Since Premier Doug Ford announced a state of emergency in March 2020, the province has been in and out of lockdown. The latest round of public health measures went into effect just after the Christmas holidays, shuttering restaurants and gyms yet again while severely restricting social gathering limits.
The province began reopening just over a month ago, allowing gyms and indoor dining to resume at 50 per cent capacity.
Each part of the province’s three-step plan was supposed to be separated by at least 21 days in order for the province to monitor public health trends. However, the province announced an expedited timeline in early February, a move that would see Ontario almost fully reopened fourteen days earlier.
Ontario moved to the second phase of the plan on Feb. 17, which saw social gathering limits increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
Capacity limits in settings where proof of vaccination is required were also lifted.
Venues that host sporting events or concerts were allowed 50 per cent seating capacity while indoor weddings, funerals or other religious services were capped at however many people could fit with physical distancing.
The next round of public health measures are expected to be lifted Tuesday.
The biggest change coming this week will be the lifting of Ontario’s proof of vaccination requirement for indoor non-essential settings. This means that businesses will no longer be required to ask patrons for proof of at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to allow entry.
Businesses can, however, choose to keep the mandate active. Some owners have told CTV News Toronto they will be requiring proof of vaccination in order to ensure the safety of their staff and for the peace of mind it brings their customers.
Vaccine requirements in industries such as long-term care and health care will remain in place for now.
Capacity limits in all other indoor public settings will also be lifted as of March 1.
Masking will remain in place; however officials have hinted the policy could be lifted sometime in March.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health previously said the mask mandate will likely be lifted “simultaneously” across most sectors when the time comes.
Officials have also suggested that other policies may be tweaked or eliminated in the coming weeks, such as those around mandatory isolation or vaccine requirements in some workplaces.
While the lifting of these public health measures may come as a relief to many Ontario residents, at least one expert is warning that caution is still required.
Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Table, told CTV News Toronto’s Life Unmasked team that it may be necessary to put some of these measures back into place.
“The point here is, this will not be the end of the pandemic. And I know people don't want to hear that,” he said. “We just need to be aware of that, that's the reality. This will not immediately become endemic.”
Life Unmasked’s newest podcast episode will air on Wednesday first on the iHeart Radio app before becoming available on other streaming platforms.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.