What you need to know about Step 3 in Ottawa

OTTAWA — Indoor dining rooms, fitness centres and museums are open in Ottawa for the first time in three months as Ontario enters Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen plan.

The Ontario government moved the province into the final step of the economic reopening plan at 12:01 a.m. Friday, easing restrictions on retail, indoor dining, personal fitness and other venues.

“We’ve made tremendous progress. I think it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts that our numbers have come down and our vaccine rates are increasing, so well done Ottawa to this point,” said Dr. Brent Moloughney, Ottawa’s associate medical officer of health.

“It’s really a case of maintaining our momentum. We’re seeing situations in other parts of the world and other countries where as they’ve reopened, and the way they’ve reopened, that they’ve had resurgences occurring.”

In an interview on CTV Morning Live Friday morning, Moloughney said Ottawa needs to continue increasing its vaccination rates, and encouraged residents to book appointments to receive their first or second COVID-19 vaccine to prevent transmission and keep case numbers low.

Social gatherings of up to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are now permitted. Indoor dining rooms at restaurants can open with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres physical distancing.

Moloughney said while vaccination rates are high, Ottawa is still at risk of a COVID-19 resurgence due to COVID-19 variants.

“The modelling suggests that we really need to be closer to 90 per cent coverage.”

As of Wednesday, 82 per cent of residents 18 and older have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 57 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Ottawa and Ontario entered Step 2 on June 30.

Here’s is a look at what’s allowed to open in Ottawa in Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen plan:

Social gatherings

Religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services

Restaurants and bars

Retail

Personal Care Services

Sports and recreational fitness facilities

Cinemas

Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments

Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, water parks, outdoor amusement parks, gardens

Fairs and rural exhibitions

Real estate open houses

City of Ottawa

Indoor recreation facilities and programs

The city of Ottawa says Recreation and Cultural Services will restart services at select locations – with new restrictions and measures in place. The following activities will reopen with capacity limits:

City of Ottawa-run galleries will begin to reopen on July 22.

Counter services

Service Ottawa will continue to deliver in-person offerings – by appointment only – at its two currently open Client Services Centres.

The Business Licensing Centre on Industrial Avenue will continue in-person services, by appointment only.

Provincial Offence Act Court

Court services counters located at 100 Constellation Drive and 110 Laurier Avenue West continue to deliver services by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted.

Museums

Museums in Ottawa are reopening in Ottawa now that Ontario is in Step 3.

For more information, visit each museum’s website.