Covid-19 Bulletin No.51: Ontario Announces Further Easing of Restrictions Effective Feb. 17

With key public health and health system indicators continuing to improve, the Ontario government announced that the province will be moving into the next step of its COVID-19 reopening plan on February 17^th 2022, four days ahead of schedule, and will lift proof of vaccination requirements on March 1^st 2022.

Last month, Ontario released its plan to follow a cautious and phased approach to lifting public health and workplace safety measures if health indicators continued to remain stable and improve. Positivity rates have fallen and new admissions to hospital and ICU have been declining.

Changes effective as of February 17^th 2022?

• Increasing social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
• Increasing organized public event limits to 50 people indoors with no limit outdoors
• Capacity limits will be lifted at most indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including restaurants, meeting and event spaces, gaming establishments, gyms and cinemas.
• Seating capacity at sport and concert venues, as well as movie theatres, will be increased to 50%.
• In higher-risk settings such as nightclubs and restaurants with dancing facilities, indoor capacity will be 25%.

Capacity limits in other indoor public settings, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, retail and shopping malls, will be increased to the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance.

In addition, as of 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 18^th 2022, Ontario is expanding booster dose eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Appointments can be booked through the provincial booking system and the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre, as well as at select pharmacies administering the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments will be booked for approximately six months (168 days) after a second dose. To book an appointment online, individuals must be 12 years old at the time of appointment.

Lifting Vaccine Passports

Premier Ford further announced that the province's proof of vaccination requirements will be lifted on March 1^st 2022, at all non-essential businesses. At this time, as mentioned herein, capacity limits will also be lifted at all indoor establishments. Masking requirements will remain in place. A specific timeline to lift this measure to be communicated at a later date.

Please refer to our previous COVID-19 Bulletins, which contain information on recommended protocols and procedures to be implemented in condominiums.

Please ensure that you speak with legal counsel if your condominium does not already have COVID-19 protocols and policies in place to help manage the risks associated with COVID-19. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone on our team:

All of the information contained in this article is of a general nature for informational purposes only, and is not intended to represent the definitive opinion of the firm of Elia Associates on any particular matter. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate and up-to-date, the reader should not act upon it without obtaining appropriate professional advice and assistance.