On May 20, 2021, the Ontario government released its Roadmap to Reopen (the “Roadmap”), a three-step plan to gradually ease public health measures and reopen the province. The steps of the Roadmap are based on the vaccination rate of adults in the province and other key indicators.

In this regard, the Roadmap outlines the following three steps:

• Step One will begin after 60 percent of Ontario’s adults have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, subject to certain key public health indicators. Step One will permit outdoor activities and gatherings of up to 10 people as well as non-essential retail at 15 percent capacity. Outdoor gatherings for purposes of a religious service, rite and ceremony will be permitted provided 2 metres’ physical distancing can be maintained.
• Step Two will begin after 70 percent of adults in the province have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 20 percent of adults have received two doses, and other key public health indicators have been met. Step Two will allow outdoor sports and outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, as well as limited indoor services subject to capacity limits and provided face coverings are worn. Indoor gatherings for purposes of a religious service, rite or ceremony will be permitted at 15 percent capacity.
• Step Three will begin after 70 to 80 percent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose and 25 percent of adults have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, subject to certain key public health indicators. Step Three will allow access to indoor settings, such as indoor sports and recreational fitness as well as indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, and casinos and bingo halls, subject to capacity limits. Indoor and outdoor gatherings for purposes of a religious service, rite or ceremony will be permitted with capacity limited to permit 2 metres’ physical distancing.

The Roadmap states that Step One and Step Two will each last no less than 21 days. The government has stated that it expects Ontario to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021, but will confirm closer to the expected start of Step One. Amending regulations under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 have introduced new rules applicable to areas in Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Province’s reopening framework. However, it is unclear how the Roadmap will fit within that framework.

Until Ontario is ready to start Step One of the Roadmap, the orders issued under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, including Ontario Regulation 265/21: Stay at Home Order, currently set to expire on June 2, 2021, are expected to remain in effect. As well, because the government’s powers under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 were limited to an initial period of 1 year, the government has stated that it plans to table a bill in the Legislature to extend these powers to December 1, 2021.