What you need to know about Step 3 in 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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.