Ontario announces gradual re-opening

1. Ontario announces gradual reopening
2. Specific information for museums

Based on the improving local trends of key indicators, including lower transmission of COVID-19, improving hospital capacity, and available public health capacity to conduct rapid case and contact management, the following three regions will be moving back to the Framework at the Green-Prevent level on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. and will no longer be subject to the Stay-at-Home order:

• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health;
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health; and
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

It is proposed that the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply to 28 public health regions until Tuesday, February 16, 2021. For Toronto, Peel and York regions, it is proposed that the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply until Monday, February 22, 2021. Final decisions will be subject to review of the trends in public health indicators at that time.

Find when your region returns to the colour-coded framework HERE.

Read the media release HERE.

• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens, and similar attractions are permitted to open in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) and Red (Control) Zones, with conditions.
• Whether the attraction is in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) Zone, the person responsible for the business must ensure that the attraction enables members of the public to maintain physical distance of at least two meters from other persons.
• If washrooms are available to the public, they must be cleaned and disinfected as frequently as necessary to maintain a sanitary environment.
• Interactive and high-contact exhibits can only remain open if located in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) Zone, with frequent cleaning and disinfection as necessary to maintain a sanitary condition.
• Some parts of museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions (e.g., restaurants/cafeteria) may be impacted by the changes to other sections of the regulation and should consider these restrictions where required.

• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens, and similar attractions must be closed to the public with the exception that in the Grey (Lockdown) Zone, these institutions may open to provide drive-in or drive-through access to the public if the special drive-in/drive-through conditions set out in regulation are followed.