With key public health and health system indicators continuing to improve, the Ontario government is easing public health measures at 12:01 a.m on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Booster vaccination eligibility will expand on Feb. 18.
If improvements continue, then on Mar. 1, you no longer will need to show proof of vaccination, businesses can resume operating at full capacity, but face masks will still be required.
"Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave, we are able to fast track our reopening plan," said Premier Doug Ford.
"While we aren’t out of the woods just yet, we are moving in the right direction."
Last month, Ontario released its plan for lifting public health and workplace safety measures if health indicators remained stable and improved. Positivity rates have fallen, and new admissions to hospitals and ICUs have been declining week over week, signalling that the Omicron peak is behind us.
These trends are expected to continue over the coming days and weeks, allowing the province to accelerate its timelines safely.
What to expect on Thursday, Feb. 17.
- Increased social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
- Increased organized public event limits to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoors
- No capacity limits for indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including:
- 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.
- 50 per cent seating capacity at sports arenas
- 50 percent 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
- Increased capacity limits for indoor weddings, funerals or religious services, rites, or ceremonies to the number of people who can maintain two metres of physical distance. Capacity limits are removed if the location opts-in to use proof of vaccination or if the service, rite, or ceremony occurs outdoors.
- Increased 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 of physical distance.
Expanding booster eligibility
In addition, booster eligibility will include youth aged 12 to 17 on Friday, Feb. 18, at 8:00 AM. You can book appointments 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.
On March 1
Ontario intends to take additional steps to ease public health measures if public health and health system indicators continue to improve, including:
- Remove capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings.
- No longer require proof of vaccination for all settings, though 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 later.
Long-term management of COVID-19
Public health units can deploy local and regional responses based on local context and conditions to manage COVID-19 over the long term.
"Thanks to the efforts of Ontarians to help blunt the transmission of Omicron, our health care indicators suggest a general improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the province," said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
"We are now in a position to lift more public health measures, but it is important to stay vigilant, as we don’t want to cause any further disruption to people’s everyday lives. We must continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities by following the measures in place and by vaccinating those who have not yet received their doses."
