COVID-19 restrictions lifting: Here's what can reopen in Windsor-Essex

Windsor-Essex restaurants, gyms and other venues can welcome back patrons indoors with capacity limits on Jan. 31, according to a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced by the provincial government.

Premier Doug Ford announced Ontario’s three-step reopening plan Thursday to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions put in place on Jan. 5.

“The evidence tells us that the measures we put in place to blunt transmission of Omicron are working,” said Ford. “We can be confident that the worst is behind us and that we are now in a position to cautiously and gradually ease public health measures."

Windsor-Essex acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said Thursday it’s difficult to gage what the level of restrictions should be when they don’t have a clear metric of the burden of disease, due to testing changes.

“That’s the challenge,” said Nesathurai, who added the health unit will be going over the new measures and working to inform the community.

One local gym owner tells CTV News the last month has been trying.

“To come back to work is very exciting to us,” says Shred Shop Wellness Complex owner Sawyer Telegdy. “I’m supposed to say I’m grateful! I am grateful, I am grateful. It’s frustrating that we’re even in this situation, but I am excited to have all of our members back indoors.”

Effective January 31, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. Ontario will begin the process of gradually easing restrictions, while maintaining protective measures, including but not limited to:

Jan. 31, 2022

Increasing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

Increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50 per cent in indoor public settings, including but not limited to:

• Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities;
• Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)
• Shopping malls;
• Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms;
• Cinemas;
• Meeting and event spaces;
• Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks;
• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions; and
• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
• Religious services, rites, or ceremonies.
• Allowing spectator areas of facilities such as sporting events, concert venues and theatres to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less.
• Enhanced proof of vaccination, and other requirements would continue to apply in existing settings.

February 21, 2022

Effective February 21, 2022, Ontario will lift public health measures, including:

• Increasing social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
• Removing capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities, cinemas, as well as other settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
• Permitting spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres at 50 per cent capacity.
• Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance.
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies limited to the number that can maintain two metres of physical distance, with no limit if proof of vaccination is required.
• Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs.
• Enhanced proof of vaccination, and other requirements would continue to apply in existing settings.

March 14, 2022

Effective March 14, 2022, Ontario will take additional steps to ease public health measures, including:

• Lifting capacity limits in all indoor public settings. Proof of vaccination will be maintained in existing settings in addition to other regular measures.
• Lifting remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies.
• Increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings.