Coronavirus: What you can and cannot do in Ontario amid Stage 3 of reopening

On Monday, the province announced that 18 of 32 regions within the province will enter Stage 3 of the province’s plan for reopening from the coronavirus pandemic later this week.

Outside of the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Windsor-Essex, Niagara Region, Haldimand-Norfolk and Lambton County, residents will be able to experience a variety of new options that were not previously made available in Stage 1 or Stage 2.

Here are the options that became available in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While parts of Ontario are entering Stage 3 of the government’s plan, that does not mean life is back to normal.

2:13 Municipalities face struggles mandating face masks

One of the big changes will be that crowds of 50 people can gather for an indoor event and crowds of 100 people can gather for an outdoor event.

This will be a guiding principle for many of the options that will be available for those areas entering Stage 3 on July 17.

One of the exceptions is people gathering indoors for religious services, rites or ceremonies, and wedding ceremonies or funeral services. They can continue to fill up to 30 per cent of the capacity of the particular room.

What can I now do in most of Ontario on July 17?

• Visit a casino, bingo hall or gaming establishment, although table games (craps, poker, blackjack, etc.) will not be allowed to open. They will only be able to allow 50 patrons maximum.
• Visit facilities, gyms and fitness studios while taking fitness classes or have a music lesson or tutoring. Numbers will remain limited according to how much the space will allow for physical distancing.
• Attend a concert, artistic event, theatrical production, performance or a movie theatre.
• Visit a festival, convention centre and use other meeting or event spaces.
• Real estate agents are allowed to hold open houses.
• Sporting and racing events will be allowed to take place.
• Go on a guided tour, including on a boat.
• Use an interactive exhibit at a museum, attraction or heritage institution.
• At the library, full services can be made available.
• Have a facial or get your ears pierced, eyebrows groomed or eyelashes extended.
• Take your kids to an outdoor playground or play structure.
• Visit an arcade room, escape room, bowling alley or pool hall.
• Eat indoors at a restaurant, bar or nightclub.
• Play a team sport as long as there is no contact. There will be other limits on team sizes.

What can I still not do in most of Ontario on July 17?

• Visit an amusement or water park.
• Go to an oxygen bar, bathhouse, steam room or sauna.
• Use private karaoke rooms.
• Eat at a buffet restaurant.
• Visit a nightclub for a performance.
• Play wrestling or judo.
• Attend a gathering of more than 50 people indoors or 100 people outdoors.
• Send your child to overnight camp