Friday May 21, 2021
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday May 21, 2021
Golf, tennis, other outdoor sports to open across Ontario as part of 3-step reopening plan
May 18, 2021
Golf, tennis, basketball and other outdoor sports are set to reopen across the province on Saturday as part of a three-step plan aimed at gradually allowing for more indoor and outdoor activities to resume by the end of summer.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced details on Thursday as Ontario continues to see signs that point to the devastating third wave of COVID-19 in the province receding.
Under the new plan, restrictions will be eased gradually through June, July and August based on vaccination rates and key public health and health-care indicators.
The current stay-at-home order will remain in place until June 2, with the exception of these newly announced changes to some outdoor activities.
Ford said the changes are the result of current restrictions.
“These measures have worked,” he said. “We are seeing increasingly positive trends in key public health indicators.”
The three phases of the province’s plan are:
November 12, 2020
Phase 1: An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower. This includes allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, outdoor dining with up to four people per table and non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
Phase 2: Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, personal care services as well as indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity. All indoor gatherings in this phase will require face coverings.
Phase 3: Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are large numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes indoor sports and recreational fitness, indoor dining, museums, art galleries, libraries, casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits. (CBC)