Mississauga mayor, GTHA group want step 3 re-opening before July 21
Published July 6, 2021 at 7:21 pm
With Ontario inching closer to meeting vaccination rate thresholds, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has joined with other municipal leaders from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to push Queen’s Park for a quicker move into step 3 of its re-opening plan.
Although Ontario entered step 2 just last week, under the gradual re-opening formula step 3 could take place as early as July 21 depending on health thresholds being met.
That includes 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses, as well as other positive health trends.
As of today, 77.61 per cent of those aged 12 and over in Ontario have received one dose and 45.5 per are fully vaccinated.
The positive data has given hope among those in the GTHA group that looser restrictions can come sooner.
“We are hopeful that if vaccination and health data and prevailing circumstances permit, consideration might be given to slightly earlier safe re-opening of various indoor activities,” the GTHA group said in a joint statement.
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Generally, under step 3 more restrictions will be lifted that will allow:
- Larger indoor and outdoor social gatherings and organized public events
- Indoor dining
- Essential and non-essential retail with limited capacity
- Larger indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services with capacity limits
- Indoor meeting and event spaces
- Indoor sports and recreational facilities
- Indoor seated events
- Indoor attractions and cultural amenities
- Casino and bingo halls
- Other outdoor activities from Step 2 permitted to operate indoors
On Twitter Crombie said the GTHA mayors and chairs are pleased with the current step 2 re-opening process, but added that as events move quickly, the Province needs to announce as-soon-as-possible a clear plan for stage 3 to provide guidance for businesses to assist with their re-openings.
As well, she said the Ontario also needs to make clear several guidelines “including limits for larger outdoor events, arts and culture events and concerts.”
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