(Toronto) Several cafes in Toronto were packed Tuesday morning as Ontario canceled most other health measures, as well as corporate vaccine certification requirements and capacity limits. However, while wearing a mask is still mandatory, businesses such as cinemas, restaurants and gyms no longer need to check on the vaccination status of customers.
The current capacity limits have also been lifted from venues such as nightclubs, sports amphitheaters and concert halls. There are no longer any limits on the capacity of private gatherings such as funerals and weddings.
Judging by the volatility of the curve, Ontario has imposed and lifted business restrictions several times since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Most recently, in January, the government ordered a complete plant closure to contain the Omicron Wave.
While sewage data suggests cases in Ontario may be starting to rise again, the number of hospitalizations and positives associated with COVID-19 has dropped sharply since then.
In addition, 67 nursing homes in the state, or nearly 11% of households, have reported active outbreaks.
Ontario’s deregulation has been met with mixed reception, based on a sense of security and the need to meet people. When friends and colleagues gathered in north Toronto for lunch on Tuesday, many said they were pleased with the lifting of restrictions.
Dan Cronin thinks the time has come. A Toronto citizen who was vaccinated and contracted the virus said: “If you choose not to get vaccinated, you do so at your own risk.”
But Rachel Rosen of Toronto, who is immunocompromised, is “terrified” of having to go to work Tuesday morning. She believes the exit plan “places the burden of safety and survival” on the most vulnerable. All of them are designed to “calm down those tired of the pandemic” or those who prefer not to.
Prime Minister Doug Ford recalled that the vaccine evidence system introduced last year was always meant to be time-limited, and he waited for approval by the chief medical officer, and then it was abandoned. But on Monday, he indicated that residents still need to be vigilant as the epidemic is not over yet.