*FEATUREDNEWS

Stage 2 at last! Wide reopening to start this week

We should see a lot more local businesses, entertainment centres and recreational facilities opening up, starting Wednesday, since the province has finally given Toronto its two-week delayed go-ahead.

The city is to oversee the safe restart of some services and partial reopening of many businesses after Ontario’s announcement Toronto can join the rest of the province in moving to to Stage 2 of its reopening plan on June 24, Mayor John Tory said today.

“Today is good news for Toronto and the many businesses who have been patiently waiting to open their doors again,” Tory said. “The progress we are seeing in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in our community has led to this moment.”

Toronto added only 37 new cases of COVID-19 since the day before, bringing the total to 13,893 cases in the city, according to Toronto’s medical health officer Dr. Eileen de Villa.

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She urged residents to continue practising precautions during the reopening.

“While we are not completely out of the woods yet, please help us build on this momentum by keeping your distance from others outside your social circle, washing your hands, and wearing a cloth mask in indoor public spaces to protect others from your germs,” de Villa said.

The province announced the implementation of Stage 2 of it reopening plan on June 8, but excluded three areas,k including Toronto, from the wider reopening moves. Today’s announcement lets Toronto join  most of the rest of the province in the full Stage 2.

Places that reopen to the public are required to ensure visitors can maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from other persons.

You can get your hair cut or styled, but don’t let them touch your face

Businesses that swill be allowed to reopen with modified services, provided they follow the mandated public health measures include:

  • restaurants and bars for delivery, takeout, and outdoor dining only,
  • shopping malls, except for indoor dining spaces including any tables and seating in food courts,
  • personal care services, such as barber shops, hair styling, nails, tattoos and aesthetic services (but not for care of a patron’s face, such as facials and beard trims), and
  • drive-in cinemas and drive-thru concerts, theatrical productions, performance or artistic events.

Recreational and cultural places that can also reopen, subject to conditions, include:

  • water recreational services, including splash pads, wading pools, indoor and outdoor swimming pools,
  • community centres for a very limited number of modified uses, including certain outdoor sports and recreational activities, day camp, pools, splash pads, spray pads and wading pools, and indoor activities and services other than non-aquatic indoor sports and recreational fitness activities,
  • campgrounds, museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and heritage institutions, and
  • libraries with limited on-site services.

Other activities that can resume, subject to conditions:

  • film and television production,
  • tours and guide services,
  • certain personal services.

You can get the full list and details about what can open in Stage 2 on the province’s Reopening Ontario website.