Next phase of reopening begins Feb. 17: Here’s what Windsor-Essex residents need to know

Capacity limits will be dropped at Windsor-Essex restaurants as Ontario loosens more COVID-19 restrictions in the next phase of reopening on February 17.

Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that with key public health and health system indicators continuing to improve, the provincial government is gradually easing public health measures sooner. The next phase was previously scheduled for Feb. 21.

“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave we are able to fast track our reopening plan,” said Ford. “This is great news and a sign of just how far we've come together in our fight against the virus. While we aren’t out of the woods just yet we are moving in the right direction.”

Windsor-Essex acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai says they continue to monitor the local circumstances to access the burden of disease.

Last month, Ontario released its plan to follow a phased approach to lifting public health and workplace safety measures if health indicators continued to remain stable and improve. Ford says positivity rates have fallen and new admissions to hospital and ICU have been declining week over week, signalling that the Omicron peak has passed.

Effective Feb. 17 at 12:01 a.m.:

• Ontario will further ease public health measures, including, but not limited to:

• 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

• Removing capacity limits in the following indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to:

• Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
• Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
• Cinemas
• Meeting and event spaces, including conference centres or convention centres
• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
• Indoor areas of settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.

• Allowing 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity at sports arenas

• Allowing 50 percent of the usual seating capacity for concert venues and theatres

• Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, restaurants where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs

• Increasing capacity limits for indoor weddings, funerals or religious services, rites, or ceremonies to the number of people who can maintain two metres physical distance. Capacity limits are removed if the location opts-in to use proof of vaccination or if the service, rite, or ceremony is occurring outdoors.

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

Booster vaccine eligibility expands

In addition, as of 8 a.m. on Friday, February 18, 2022, Ontario is expanding booster dose eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Appointments can be booked through the wevax.ca booking system, 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.

Effective March 1:

Ontario intends to take additional steps to ease public health measures if public health and health system indicators continue to improve. This includes lifting capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings.

Ontario will also lift proof of vaccination requirements for all settings at this time. Businesses and other settings may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination. Masking requirements will remain in place at this time, with a specific timeline to lift this measure to be communicated at a later date.

To manage COVID-19 over the long-term, public health units can deploy local and regional responses based on local context and conditions.