A few days ahead of schedule, the Ontario government announced that we’ll be advancing to Step 2 of the reopening plan as of Wednesday, June 30th.

This lets barbers and salons open and capacity limits for retail stores and patios should increase.

Outdoor gathering capacity will increase to 25 people while indoor gatherings will be allowed with up to 5 people.

To move to Step 2 required 70 per cent of adults to receive one dose and have 20 per cent fully vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, June 23rd, 76 per cent of Ontario adults have received their first dose of the vaccine and about 27 per cent are now fully vaccinated #HotVaxSummer

Impressively, that vaccination rate matches the 70 - 80 per cent that is needed for Step 3 of the reopening plan.

Step 2 includes:

Gatherings

• Maximum 25 people for outdoor gatherings

• Maximum 5 people for indoor gatherings

 Religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services (does not apply to receptions)

• Indoor permitted at 25% capacity of the room

• Outdoor permitted with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of 2 metres

 Retail

• Essential retail at 50% capacity

• Non-essential retail at 25% capacity

 Liquor stores

• Open at 50% capacity

 Restaurants and bars

• Outdoor dining with 6 people per table and other restrictions

• Karaoke permitted with restrictions (outdoor only)

 Personal care services

• Open at 25% capacity to maximum of 5 people

• Appointment required

• Services that require the removal of a face covering not permitted

 Sports and recreational fitness facilities

• Outdoor sports leagues open

• Training for professional or amateur athletes and/or competitions

• Closed for indoor use except for high-performance athletes and day camps

 Personal fitness and training

• Outdoor fitness classes and personal training – with limit on the number of patrons, 3 metres distance

 Outdoor recreational amenities

• Open with restrictions

 Water features

• Outdoor pools, splash pads, spray pads, whirlpools, wading pools and water slides open

 Meeting and event spaces

• Outdoor spaces open at 25% capacity and other restrictions

• Indoor meeting and event spaces closed, with exceptions for certain purposes, including for viewing for potential booking of a future event

“Because of the tireless work of our health care heroes, and the record setting success of our vaccine rollout, we are able to move into Step Two ahead of schedule on June 30 with the support of our public health experts” said Premier Doug Ford.