Ontario's Reopening Plan For Tourism Operations

Ontario’s Reopening Plan For Tourism Operations

May 20, 2021 Jim Byers

Canada’s most populous province has laid out the rules for re-opening of tourism/travel and other businesses.

The full set of guidelines is listed below, but the Ontario government has laid out a three-step process for reopening that would begin no earlier than June 14, with the requirement that 60% of adults have received their first vaccination and if health indicators allow. Step One would allow outdoor dining with up to four people per table, outdoor zoos, as well as an opening for landmarks, historic sites and botanical gardens with capacity limits (no details are available yet on what those numbers might be). Campsites, campgrounds and short-term rentals would be allowed, as well as opening for Ontario Parks.

Step Two would begin no earlier than 21 days later (July 5 would be the soonest date) and would require 70% of adults to have their first vaccine and 20% to have two does, as well as a requirement for positive health trends in general, such as ICU bed availability. In Step two, outdoor dining would be allowed with up to six people, and outdoor cinemas and performing arts centres would open with capacity limits (again, no numbers or seating percentage) figures are yet available. As well, outdoor tour and guide services would be okay with capacity limits, outdoor waterparks and amusement parks could open with capacity limits, and fairs and rural exhibitions could operate with limits on capacity.

Step Three would begin no earlier than 21 days after the start of Step Two, which means July 26 at the earliest. The provinces says 70 to 80% of adults will need to have received one vaccine does, while 25% would need both. As well, there would have to be positive trends in public health and health system indicators.

Step Three highlights include indoor dining with unknown capacity limits, indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities with capacity limits, indoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits, indoor cinemas and performing arts facilities with capacity limits, indoor museums and art galleries with capacity limits, indoor zoos, aquariums, waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits, and casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits.

“Keeping Ontarians safe has always been the most important responsibility of government. But today’s announced important critical pathway to reopening is a welcome move that will give businesses confidence and certainty with clear metrics, that brighter days are not far away,” said Chris Bloore, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.

“We will continue to work with the provincial government to roll out economic supports to the tourism industry, with TIAC (the Tourism Industry Association of Canada) to extend federal government support into 2022 and for the combined used of rapid testing and vaccinations to restart our visitor economy as soon as possible,” he said.

Here’s the full set of steps.

Step One of the roadmap may begin after 60 per cent of Ontario’s adults receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and if public health indicators, such as hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and new admissions and case rates indicate the province can safely move to this step of the roadmap. Based on current trends in key health indicators, including the provincial vaccination rate, the government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021. The province will confirm closer to the expected start of Step One. Step One will permit the resumption of outdoor activities with smaller, well-managed crowds where risk of transmission is minimized and will permit retail, all with restrictions in place, including but not limited to: • Outdoor gatherings up to 10 people; • Outdoor dining up to 4 people per table; • Outdoor fitness classes, personal training and sports training up to 10 people; • Essential retail at 25 per cent capacity and can sell all goods (including discount and big box); • Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity; • Retail stores in malls closed unless the stores have a street facing entrance; • Outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies with capacity limited to permit 2 metres physical distancing; • Horse racing and motor speedways without spectators; • Outdoor horse riding; • Outdoor pools, splash pads and wading pools with capacity limited to permit 2 metres physical distancing;• Outdoor zoos, landmarks, historic sites, and botanical gardens with capacity limits; • Campsites, campgrounds and short-term rentals; and • Ontario Parks. Step Two Ontario will remain in Step One for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent of adults with two doses and there are positive trends in public health and health system indicators, Ontario will move to Step Two. Step Two will further expand outdoor activities and will resume limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn, with other restrictions in place, including but not limited to: • Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people; • Indoor gatherings up to 5 people and other restrictions; • Outdoor dining up to 6 people per table; • Outdoor sports and leagues; • Outdoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits; • Non-essential retail at 25 per cent capacity; essential retail at 50 per cent capacity; • Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times with capacity limits; • Outdoor cinemas and performing arts with capacity limits; • Horse racing and motor speedways for spectators with capacity limits; • Outdoor tour and guide services with capacity limits; • Indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity; • Public libraries with capacity limits; • Outdoor waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits; and • Fairs and rural exhibitions with capacity limits. Step Three Ontario will remain in Step Two for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of adults with one dose and 25 per cent of adults with two and positive trends in public health and health system indicators continue, Ontario will move to Step Three. Step Three will permit the resumption of indoor services with larger numbers of people, with restrictions in place, including but not limited to: • Outdoor gatherings with larger capacity limits; • Indoor gatherings with larger capacity limits and other restrictions; • Indoor dining with capacity limits; • Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities with capacity limits; • Indoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits; • Essential and non-essential retail capacity expanded; • Personal care services with capacity expanded and other restrictions; • Indoor cinemas and performing arts facilities with capacity limits; • Indoor and outdoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings with capacity limited to permit 2 metres physical distancing; • Indoor museums and art galleries with capacity limits; • Indoor zoos, aquariums, waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits; • Casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits; and• Other outdoor activities from Step Two permitted to operate indoors. This list is not exhaustive. The government will continue to work with sectors on reopening plans, to ensure that they have full awareness of when they can begin to safely reopen and how.