Rules and Restrictions for Green Zone Regions Under Ontario’s New Colour-Coded COVID-19 Framework

Ontario government rolled out a new colour-coded system on Tuesday, November 3rd to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the province.

On November 16th,  Ontario lowered the thresholds for imposing stricter COVID-19 measures under its colour-coded framework in light of new projections that showed the province is on track to see 6,500 new daily COVID-19 cases by the middle of next month.

---

---

Update April 1, 2021: The Ontario government is imposing a provincewide shutdown as a result of an alarming surge in case numbers and COVID-19 hospitalizations across the province. The provincewide emergency brake will be effective Saturday, April 3, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. and the government intends to keep this in place for at least four weeks.

The current COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open, will be paused when the provincewide emergency brake comes into effect.

---

The following Ontario regions are under the green zone and the rules and restrictions are listed below:

Ontario Health Regions in the Green Zone

Effective March 22, 2021

1. Hastings Prince Edward Public Health;
2. Grey Bruce Health Unit.

Effective April 3, 2021

Provincewide shutdown

Rules and Restrictions for Regions in the Green Zone

 

General public health measures (gatherings, workplace requirements and face coverings)

• Limit for events and social gatherings (for example, barbeques):
  • 10 people indoors
  • 25 people outdoors
• Limit for organized public events and gatherings:
  • 50 people indoors
  • 100 people outdoors
• Limit for religious services, weddings and funerals:
  • 30% capacity indoors
  • 100 people outdoors
• Requirement for workplace screening
• Face coverings required in:
  • indoor workplaces
  • indoor public spaces, with limited exemptions
• Where patrons without face coverings are within two metres of workers, workers much use additional protections such as eye protection
• Workplaces must develop and implement a communication/public education plan (highlighting risk)
• Physical distancing must be maintained
• Non-essential travel from areas of high-transmission to areas of low transmission should be avoided

Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments

• Require patrons to be seated; 2 metre minimum between tables
• Dancing, singing and performing music is permitted, with restrictions
• Karaoke permitted, with restrictions (including no private rooms)
• Require patron contact info (one per party)
• No buffet style service
• Night clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar
• Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
• Face coverings except when eating or drinking only
• Eye protection where patrons without face coverings are within 2 metres of workers

Sports and recreational fitness facilities

• Capacity limits:
  • 50 people indoors (classes)
  • 100 people outdoors (classes)
  • 50 people indoors (area with weights or exercise equipment)
• Spectators allowed (50 indoors and 100 outdoors)
• Limit of 50 people per room basis if operating in compliance with a plan approved by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Guidance for Facilities for Sport and Recreational Fitness Activities During COVID-19)
• Team or individual sports must be modified to avoid physical contact; 50 people per league
• Exemption for high performance athletes and parasports
• Limit volume of music to conversation level and prevent shouting by both instructors and members of the public
• Face coverings required except when exercising

Meeting and event spaces

• Limits:
  • 50 people indoors
  • 100 people outdoors
  • exception for court and government services, weddings, funerals
• Booking multiple rooms for the same event not permitted
• 50 indoors per room, where physical distancing can be maintained if venue operates in accordance with the approved plan from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Guidance for Meeting and Event Facilities During COVID-19)

Retail

• Stores must have passive screening for patrons (for example, posting signs outside the store front about not entering if you have COVID-19covid 19 symptoms). This does not apply to indoor malls, which will have to do screening in accordance with instructions by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
• Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
• Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metre distance and face covering required

Personal care services

• Oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas, and whirlpools closed

Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments

• Capacity cannot exceed 50 persons
• Table games are prohibitedor
• Casinos, bingo halls, and gaming establishments operate in accordance with a plan approved by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health

Cinemas

• Limits in facility and area:
  • 50 indoors
  • 100 outdoors
    or
  • 50 indoors per auditorium if cinema operates in accordance with the approved plan from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
  • Face coverings except when eating or drinking only
  • Drive-in cinemas permitted to operate, subject to restrictions

Performing arts facilities

• Limits with 2 metre physical distance maintained:
  • 50 spectators indoors
  • 100 spectators outdoors
• Singers and players of wind or brass instruments must be separated from spectators by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier
• Rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted
• Performers and employees must maintain 2 metre physical distance except for purposes of the performance
• Drive-in performances permitted

For more information, see Ontario.ca

Explore Ontario