London joins rest of Ontario as Step 1 of reopening plan begins Friday
If you were passing by restaurants and shops Friday in London and you saw something you have not seen in several weeks, customers.
Step 1 of the Roadmap to Reopen, set by the province, officially began as of 12:01 a.m.
That means people can sit on patios again, or shop, albeit in limited numbers at non-essential retail stories.
The move to Step 1 was originally set to begin on Monday, but due to Ontario’s current COVID-19 numbers the decision was made to move reopening to ahead of the weekend.
The rules for patios are four people per table with exceptions for larger households.
There is no capacity limitations as long as two metres of space can be enforced between tables.
Retail stores can open at 15 per cent capacity, 25 per cent for stores deemed essential.
Another change will be that all items, deemed essential or not, can be sold. That means no more blocked off aisles at your local Walmart of Dollarama.
Here are some other changes allowed under Step One:
- outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people allowed
- outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres
- indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 15 per cent capacity of the particular room
- non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold
- essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold
- outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households
- outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other restrictions
- day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19
- overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals
- concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, among other restrictions
- outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators
- outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions
Additional details of what is allowed in Stage 1 can be found here.
The move to Step 2 is not expected to take place until at least another 21 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.