By: Greg Staley
Written On: 2021-07-09
Today, the Premier of Ontario announced that Ontario would be moving into stage 3 of the roadmap to reopen on July 16th. This is an important step for Ontarian businesses who have watched their profits hemorrhage because of government Covid policies that forced them to close their doors or drastically limit the number of customers they could serve – but don’t get too excited, face masks are here to stay awhile.
The government’s release says that the province of Ontario will remain in Step Three of the Roadmap for at least 21 days and until “80 percent of the eligible population aged 12 and over has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 75 percent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 percent of their eligible population aged 12 and over fully vaccinated.” So in essence, the goalposts have shifted again and even more Ontarians need to get vaccinated to retain their freedoms.
How does Ontario Lose the Face Mask?
For the mask mandate to disappear, 80% of eligible Ontarians aged 12+ must have received their first dose and at least 75% must have received their second dose. The requirements don’t stop there though. Ontario must also have no public health unit that has less than 70% of its eligible population vaccinated against Covid.
The Premier Offices release says that “Upon meeting these thresholds, the vast majority of public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and limits for social gatherings, will be lifted.” Although mandatory face masks have been lifted in Alberta and B.C there is no end in sight for them in Ontario – not if Dr. Moore and Ford have their say. That’s because according to the Premier’s office, “Ontario’s epidemiological situation is distinct from other jurisdictions” because the “Delta variant is the dominant strain in Ontario”. Because of this, the advice of Dr. Moore is that face coverings should continue to be used in indoor settings until these new goals for vaccination are met.
When Dr. Moore was asked if the new vaccination targets were an incentive for people to get vaccinated the doctor replied that it was based on modelling – the same modelling that has been wrong so often and by so much.
Article: Why I’m Cheerleading the Delta variant on
The Good News – What’s Opening?
Below is the list the Premier’s Office provided of what will be opening on July 16th as we enter Stage 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen.
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions;
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
- Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing;
- Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect;
- Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 percent capacity of the indoor space. The capacity for indoor spectators is 50 percent of the usual seating capacity of 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 percent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less;
- Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less);
- Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
- Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
- Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 percent capacity indoors and 75 percent capacity outdoors;
- Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
- up to 50 percent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
- up to 75 percent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 percent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
- Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
- Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 percent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).
Diverge Media is an independent Canadian media company dedicated to bringing you the stories that matter. Unlike many of our mainstream media competitors, we don’t accept taxpayer funding from the government to fund our work. That’s why we are calling on you to support independent media through purchasing some Diverge swag – or by leaving a donation. All the best – the Diverge media team.
Diverge Media snapback Trucker hat
This comfortable snap-back Trucker cap is made in Canada. It’s purple and white thread will have you proud to Diverge from the mainstream media and display your support for independent Canadian media!
Media is a Virus T-shirt
This t-shirt was hand drawn by an artist under the commission of Diverge Media.
The Media is a virus shirt was made because viruses can either infect the minds of the population with good information that can fuel good decisions or poor information that promotes poor ones.
Help support independent media with this one of a kind t-shirt!
You must log in to post a comment.