Ontario releases plan to safely reopen and manage COVID-19 for the long-term

Last Friday, October 22, 2021, the Ontario government released A Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario and Manage COVID-19 for the Long-Term, which outlines the province’s gradual approach to lifting the remaining public health and workplace safety measures, including requirement for proof of vaccination and wearing face coverings in indoor public settings, between now and March 2022.

In the absence of concerning trends, public health and workplace safety measures will be lifted on the following dates:

• October 25, 2021
  • Capacity limits were lifted in the vast majority of settings where proof of vaccination is required including restaurants, bars, sport/recreational facilities, casinos, bingo halls, other gaming establishments, and indoor meeting and event spaces. Establishments with dance facilities will follow on November 15, 2021.
• January 17, 2022
  • Capacity limits will start to be lifted in settings where proof of vaccination is not required (note that this has not yet been further defined).
• March 28, 2022
  • All remaining public health and workplace safety measures will be lifted, including wearing face coverings in indoor public settings. It is RCC’s understanding that this target date includes warehouses and retail settings.

RCC has also been told that further recommendations may be released for specific settings, if appropriate.