Stage 2 reopening decision expected ‘within the week’

Province may give green light to restaurant patios in some areas, Ford says

TORONTO—Ontario health officials are in discussions about the second stage of the province’s economic reopening plan, and Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he hopes to bring it forward over the next week.

Numbers of new cases have gone up and down in the two weeks since Ontario entered Stage 1, but the province has previously said it wants to see a consistent, two-to-four-week decline in new cases before reopening more.

Ontario reported 338 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total in the province to 29,047.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott said Ontario will take a “measured, gradual approach to reopening” based on advice of health officials and is looking at whether some health units can enter Stage 2 before others.

“We’ve always been clear that each stage will last for approximately two-to-four-week periods to allow for close monitoring of any impacts or potential resurgence of cases,” Hayley Chazan said in a statement.

Ford said even though Ontario extended its state of emergency Tuesday until June 30, it won’t slow down the reopening process. “It’s in front of the health table right now and hopefully, over the next week, we’ll be able to discuss that with the people of Ontario,” Ford said.

When asked specifically if restaurants may be able to open patios in the second stage, Ford said it’s one area he’s looking at, particularly in the context of a regional reopening.

“I know a lot of people in rural areas want that,” he said. “That’s up to the health table right now and they’ll make those decisions within the week and we’ll be able to come out to the public and discuss that.”

Ford last week said he was asking health officials how parts of the province could be reopened differently. Two-thirds of the province’s cases are in the Greater Toronto Area, while some public health units are reporting few, if any, active cases.

Ontario’s broad reopening framework indicated that Stage 2 could include opening more businesses, more outdoor spaces and allowing some larger public gatherings. Education Minister Stephen Lecce has also said that child-care centres would start to reopen in Stage 2.

As for schools, Lecce said a plan for a September reopening will come in a few weeks.

“Working with the best medical and scientific minds in the country, we put together a team that’s informing cabinet on how to reopen, what those protocols should look like,” he said.

“I don’t want to get ahead of that process because to be fair, we’re continuing to consult. Not just with medical and scientific minds, but with educators, with parents and of course with students.”

Both the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) said Wednesday there hasn’t been enough consultation with teachers.

OECTA president Liz Stuart said they are wondering how to ensure frequent handwashing in portables and other classrooms without running water, how younger children can physically distance and whether teachers will have access to personal protective gear.