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.

Dr. Moloughney warns people not to act like COVID-19 is gone.

"Those three Cs – being in a confined area, being in a crowded area, being in really close contact with other people who perhaps are not vaccinated – those are all riskier situations and we want to keep those to a minimum while we enjoy the fact that more things are open," said Moloughney.

Moloughney tells CTV Morning Live that 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 Friday, 82 per cent of residents 12 and older have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 60 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 Three of the Roadmap to Reopen plan:

Social gatherings

• Indoor: 25 people
• Outdoors: Up to 100 people

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

• Indoor and outdoor permitted with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of two metres

Restaurants and bars

• Indoor dining permitted
• Indoor and outdoor dining limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres physical distancing
• No limits on the number of people per table
• Buffets permitted

Retail

• Essential and non-essential retail open with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of two metres

Personal Care Services

• Open, including services that require the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of two metres.

Sports and recreational fitness facilities

• Gyms and fitness centres are permitted to open with capacity limited to 50 per cent indoors. Fitness classes and personal training permitted.
• Spectators permitted at a maximum capacity of 50 per cent or 1,000 people (whichever is less)
• Outdoor open. Seating limited to 75 per cent capacity up to 15,000 people
• Sports will be permitted without restrictions on contact

Cinemas

• Indoor open at a maximum capacity of 50 per cent or 1,000 people (whichever is less)

Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments

• Casinos can open at a maximum capacity of 50 per cent and other restrictions

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

• All places will be permitted to operate with capacity limited to 50 per cent of ticketed areas indoors and 75 per cent for ticketed areas outdoors and other restrictions
• Amusement parks and waterparks open at 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors and with other restrictions, including on rides

Fairs and rural exhibitions

• Open at 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors and with other restrictions, including on rides

Real estate open houses

• Real estate open houses permitted with capacity limited to permit physical distancing of two metres

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:

• Indoor public and lane swims at select pools
• Indoor Aquafitness programs at select pools
• Summer Learn-to-Swim programs, starting the week of July 26 with restrictions
• Weight and cardio rooms at select facilities
• Indoor sport activities at select facilities
• Drop-in programs such as fitness classes, older adult fitness classes, and skating will start at select facilities 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.

• Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
• Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive

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.

• Museum of Nature reopens on Friday
• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum opens on Friday (Advance tickets required for all visitors)
• Canada Science and Technology Museum opens on Friday (Advance tickets required for all visitors)
• Canada Aviation and Space Museum opens on Saturday (Advance tickets required for all visitors)
• Canadian War Museum opens on Saturday
• National Gallery of Canada opens on Friday