Ontario on track to enter Step 3 of COVID-19 reopening plan days earlier than expected
Step 3 #Step3
The Ontario government is poised to move the province into Step 3 of the COVID-19 reopening plan nearly a week earlier than the previously expected date, officials confirmed Friday.
The province will move into Step 3 on Friday, July 16 at 12:01 a.m., five days ahead of schedule. Ontario was originally slated to move into the next step on July 21.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s new chief medical officer of health, held a news conference at noon Friday.
“I didn’t see any reason to hold us back, given that so many Ontarians have come forward, over 200,000 [a day] are coming forward to get immunized,” Moore said.
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Here is what’s changing in Step 3:
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Masks and face coverings will remain in place in indoor public settings throughout Step 3, officials said, as will physical distancing requirements.
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Some outdoor public settings will also require mask wearing, the government added.
Ontario said the province will remain in Step 3 for at least 21 days and until 80 per cent of those eligible, aged 12 and older, have at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 75 per cent are fully immunized with both doses.
After meeting those thresholds, the province is looking at removing the majority of public health and workplace safety measures. These measures include lifting capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and lifting social gatherings.
Officials noted only a small number of measures will remain in place such as passive screening such as signage and businesses needing a safety plan.
“No one wants to go back to any significant public health measures or closures,” Moore said. “No one.”
“By having the highest immunization rate achievable, 80 per cent will slow this virus down significantly at a population level and decrease its ability to spread and cause harm and hospitalizations,” Moore continued.
However, the shift to an earlier date appeared to differ from what Moore previously indicated in terms of his preference for moving into Step 3.
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Under the three-step plan released on May 20, a minimum period of three weeks will be in place before Step 3 could come into effect. Based on the previously published criteria, the earliest Ontario was set to enter Step 3 would have been July 21.
During his first news conference, Moore said he expected the province would remain in Step 2 for at least three weeks due to concerns about COVID-19 variants.
“With Delta being present, we obviously have to watch what is going on around the world where Australia and multiple cities have had to lockdown, Israel is back with masking in public spaces, Europe might be looking at further public health measures,” he said, noting the two-to-three-week intervals are important.
“We’re going to be watching internationally, nationally, provincially, locally — being data-driven and advise government based on data.”
In terms of the vaccination guidelines set out for Step 3 (between 70 and 80 per cent of eligible adults receiving their first vaccine dose and 25 per cent receiving their second dose), those thresholds have since been met.
On Friday, the province reported that first dose adult (18+) coverage stands at 78.9 per cent with 52.7 per cent of adults being full immunized.
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When pressed on Friday for why Moore moved up the date, he cited an acceleration in the vaccine plan which blew past the original thresholds for Step 3 as well as fewer daily cases, lower test positivity and a downward trend for patients in ICUs all contributed to the move.
“All of those metrics, together with Ontarians coming forward with having a high rate of immunization gives me hope that we can open safely,” Moore said.
“We will continue to monitor all the data as we move into Step 3.”
This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day.
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