Things you can do in Stage One of Ontario’s reopening

"During the last several weeks, the people of Ontario have been called on to make incredible sacrifices to help us stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home from work, closing down businesses and going without a regular paycheque," Ford noted on Thursday. "We are taking a cautious, balanced approach to our economic reopening, to protect the health and safety of everyone."

Most businesses will open their doors on Tuesday though some recreational businesses were able to open on Saturday.

Here is a list of things you can do in Ontario as of May 19:

• Go to retail stores that have separate street-front entrances and are not located at indoor shopping malls. Physical restrictions will be put into place at these stores.
• Visit a car dealership with no appointment
• Play golf or spend time on the driving range without using amenities
• Use yacht club or marina services without some amenities
• Play certain racquet sports such as badminton, tennis, ping pong and pickleball
• Do individual sports like gymnastics, track and field and figure skating
• Race horses
• Go to a horse riding facility, rod and gun club or a cycling track
• Take pets to the vet, the groomer or leave them with a dog walker
• Hire cleaners, maids, cooks and housekeepers
• Hire people for non-emergency maintenance at your house
• Non-diagnostic medical imaging has been made available again
• Attend in-person counselling
• Use a library for delivery or pickup
• Use a home daycare or babysitter
• Go to a farmer's market
• Go to an outdoor flea market

Things you still can’t do as of May 19:

• Box or wrestle, martial arts, squash or racquetball
• Swim in public pools
• Go to a hair salon or barbershop
• Go into a restaurant, bar or cafe for sit-down service
• Send kids to daycare centres or schools—new announcement to be made today
• Go to places of worship
• Attend gatherings of over five people
• Attend a concert, sporting event or festival
• Attend a pool, movie theatre, theatre, recreation centre, gym, arena, spa or nightclub

More information can be found on the government of Ontario’s website.

Ontario is advising people to continue working from home if they can. No further information about when the next phase will take place has been released by the provincial government.

If the province is successful with Stage 1, it can enter Stage 2, which includes opening more workplaces, allowing larger gatherings, opening community and outdoor spaces and "continuing to get back to full services with restrictions, such as more care services, courthouse and tribunal services."

Stage 3 will likely see all workplaces reopen along with "further relaxing the restrictions on recreational spaces and public gatherings and allowing full services to resume, such as fully opening libraries to the public and jury proceedings."

Concerts and major sporting events may still have to wait until after this stage.