Ontario has announced stage 2 of its reopening plan. Beginning Friday, businesses such restaurants with patios and services such hair salons and barbershops will be able to reopen in select regions.
“Entering Stage 2 means parts of the province will see more people back on the job and an opportunity to get back together with friends and family,” Premier Doug Ford said. The limit of gatherings increases from a maximum of five, to a maximum of 10 including weddings and funerals. The province’s places of worship will also be able to open if they limit attendance to 30% and put physical distancing measures in place.
Halton Region is not among the regions allowed to reopen. “Where we haven’t seen our public health criteria met, and in consultation with local medical officers of health, certain public health units will remain at the first stage,” Hayley Chazan, spokesperson for the Health Minister said. The entire Golden Horseshoe is in the same position including Hamilton, Peel, and the City of Toronto itself.
The Region has 673 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of three over yesterday. Another 72 are designated as probable cases. Milton has 181 of these, with another 14 as probable cases. Ontario recorded 243 new cases. The province completed 15,357 tests, and 4,811 are under investigation. The province has promised a new announcement on new regional re-openings every Monday. The Chief Medical Officer will continue monitoring the situation for possible changes. Click here for a full list of businesses and health boards.
