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Ontario will be enterting Step 1 of the COVID-19 Roadmap to Reopen effective 12:01am on Friday June 11, 2021. Step 1 regulations have now been outlined and can be found here www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200082.   

Step 1 Restaurants

Live music performances on patios are not permitted in Step 1. 

10.  Music must not be played at a decibel level that exceeds the level at which normal conversation is possible.

11.  No person shall dance, sing or perform music at the establishment.

Step 1 Entertainment Highlights

- Entertainment venues permitted to host outdoor Livestreams/Recordings/Rehearsals. No spectators.

- 10 performers, not 10 total for outdoor streams/recordings/rehearsals.

- 3 m social distancing during streams/recordings/rehearsals (increase from 2m).

- Plexiglass is not required for outdoor recordings/streams/rehearsals. 

Step 1 Entertainment 

65. (1) Concert venues, theatres and cinemas that meet the conditions set out in subsection (2) or (3).

(2) Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance on outdoor premises if they comply with the following conditions:

1.  No spectators may be permitted anywhere on the premises.

2.  Only persons who are essential to the rehearsal or performance are permitted anywhere on the premises.

3.  No more than 10 performers may be permitted to participate in the rehearsal or performance.

4.  Every performer and other person who performs work for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must maintain a physical distance of at least three metres from every other person.

5.  No performer or other person who performs work for the concert venue, theatre or cinema may be permitted in an indoor area of the concert venue, theatre or cinema, except,

i.  where necessary to use a washroom,

ii.  where necessary to access an outdoor area that can only be accessed through an indoor route, or

iii.  as may otherwise be required for the purposes of health and safety.

6.  The person responsible for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must,

i.  record the name and contact information of every performer or other person who is present at the rehearsal or performance,

ii.  maintain the records for a period of at least one month, and

iii.  only disclose the records to a medical officer of health or an inspector under the Health Protection and Promotion Act on request for a purpose specified in section 2 of that Act or as otherwise required by law.

7.  The person responsible for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must ensure that individuals are actively screened in accordance with the advice, recommendations and instructions of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health before they enter the premises.

Notable changes:

• Step 2 general "gatherings" limit set at 25 outdoors / 5 indoors
• However, the Step 2 performing arts section doesn't have a specific outdoor capacity listed - it just says "Outdoor open, including live music, with spectator capacity and other restrictions"
• The government seems to have removed the requirement that it wait two weeks after hitting a vaccination target before moving to the next step - now they can move to the next step as long as they've hit the vaccination target and waited 21 days after the last move.