Ontario moves into Step 2 early

ONTARIO — Last week, the provincial government announced that the province would be moving into Step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen beginning today, Wednesday, June 30.

With regard to gathering, residents are now allowed a maximum of five people indoors and 25 outdoors under the guidelines.

For religious services, including wedding and funeral services, a 25 per cent capacity limit has been applied for indoors with outdoor services permitted to allow for physical distancing of two metres.

For retail, essential retail capacity rises to 50 per cent, while non-essential retail goes to 25 per cent. Stores in shopping malls can now open with the above limits.

For restaurants and bars, outdoor dining on patios will rise to a six-person maximum, while outdoor karaoke is permitted with restrictions.

The big news out of this announcement is that personal care services can now reopen at 25 per cent capacity as long as face coverings can be accommodated. Those waiting for haircuts, manicures and other beauty treatments can now book appointments with their favourite provider.

For sports and recreation, outdoor sports leagues are permitted to open, as well as training for professional and amateur athletes and competitions. Indoor sports leagues and use of indoor recreation facilities will open in Step 3.

As for gyms and fitness facilities, outdoor fitness classes are now permitted with limit restrictions. Indoor fitness classes have to wait until Step 3.

Step 3 is now expected to begin on July 21.

For further information on what is open with Step 2, please visit Ontario.ca.

Regionally, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reports that as of Monday, June 28, 74.1 percent of adults 18+ have had at least one dose of a vaccine, while 41.7 per cent of adults 18+ are now fully vaccinated. This figure signifies a huge jump in fully vaccinated residents since the last update.

For updates on local vaccinations, or to book an appointment for first or second dose, visit wechu.org in Windsor-Essex, or ckphu.com in Chatham-Kent.