LONDON, ONT -- As of 12:01 Wednesday morning Windsor-Essex has at last joined the rest of the province in Stage 3 of the reopening plan.

The province announced on Monday that the region would be moving into the next phase of reopening and economic recovery as of this morning.

Stage 3 includes the reopening of gyms, indoor dining at bars and restaurants and many facial services. The size of gatherings moves to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Physical distancing is still required in gatherings for people who are not within your social circle of 10 people.

Stage 3 also allows restaurants to have indoor seating if they choose.

The decision to move Windsor-Essex into the next stage was based on lower transmission of COVID-19, ongoing hospital capacity, public health capacity to conduct rapid case and contact management as well as increase in testing.

The City of Windsor announced the return of certain services and the reopening of some facilities now that Stage 3 has begun.

Windsor-Essex was the last region in the province to move into Stage 3 after being the last to move into Stage 2.