Here's what Stage 2's regional approach includes for Ontario in response to COVID-19

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced today the details of Stage 2 in regards to COVID-19.

Taking a regional approach, those outside of the Greater Toronto Area, are permitted to reopen additional businesses, which include hair salons and restaurants, patios, malls (food courts are limited to only take-out meals), splash pads, outdoor pools, beaches, and camping on Friday, June 12th, 2020 at 12:01 am.

Effective Friday, June 12, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., the province will increase the limit on social gatherings from five to 10 people across the province, regardless of whether a region has moved to Stage 2.

Places of worship are also allowed to reopen on Friday, June 12th, 2020 at 12:01 am but only at 30 (thirty) % capacity.

Businesses and services permitted to reopen with proper health and safety measures in place in regions entering Stage 2 include:

  • Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent properties;

  • Select personal and personal care services with the proper health and safety measures in place, including tattoo parlours, barber shops, hair salons and beauty salons;

  • Shopping malls under existing restrictions, including food services reopening for take-out and outdoor dining only;

  • Tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours, as well as tasting and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries;

  • Water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools;

  • Beach access and additional camping at Ontario Parks;

  • Camping at private campgrounds;

  • Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing;

  • Drive-in and drive-through venues for theatres, concerts, animal attractions and cultural appreciation, such as art installations;

  • Film and television production activities, with limits to enable physical distancing; and

  • Weddings and funerals, with limits on social gatherings to 10 people.


Public health unit regions allowed to move into Stage 2 on Friday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. include:

  • Algoma Public Health

  • Brant County Health Unit

  • Chatham-Kent Public Health

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit

  • Grey Bruce Health Unit

  • Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

  • Huron Perth Public Health

  • Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health

  • Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit

  • Middlesex-London Health Unit

  • North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

  • Northwestern Health Unit

  • Ottawa Public Health

  • Peterborough Public Health

  • Porcupine Health Unit

  • Public Health Sudbury & Districts

  • Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services

  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit

  • Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit

  • Southwestern Public Health

  • Thunder Bay District Health Unit

  • Timiskaming Health Unit

  • Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

If you’re within the Greater Toronto Area, the earliest we’ll be able to have those services available could be the following week, June 19th, 2020.

So far, we’ve had businesses with street-level entrances open up, golf courses, garden centres, and hardware stores.

As previously stated, each stage will be carefully monitored by health officials for two to four weeks before announcing further plans to reopen our economy.