Splash pads to re-open for Saturday, May 22

The provincial government will add splash pads to the roster of outdoor activities re-opened in adjusted COVID-19 protocols tomorrow, May 22.

Splash pads were not initially in the list of amenities announced yesterday some reconsideration for this activity worked its way through the consultative process today. A formal announcement is expected shortly.

With temperatures in the high 20s over the holiday weekend, splash pads will be welcome relief for many children and grown-ups alike.

On Thursday, the provincial government, in consultation with the chief medical officer of Health, has released its Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures based on the province-wide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators.

Effective May 22, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. the Province will reopen outdoor recreational amenities with restrictions in place, such as the need to maintain physical distancing. These amenities include but are not limited to:

• Golf courses and driving ranges
• Soccer and other sports fields
• Tennis and basketball courts
• Skate parks

No outdoor sports or recreational classes are permitted. Outdoor limits for social gatherings and organized public events will be expanded to five people, which will allow these amenities to be used for up to five people, including with members of different households. All other public health and workplace safety measures under the province-wide emergency brake will remain in effect.

The Province also outlined a Roadmap to Reopening using three steps to easing public health measures, guided by the following principles:

• Step One An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower, and permitting retail with restrictions. This includes allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, outdoor dining with up to four people per table and non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
• Step Two Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits, as well as indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity.
• Step Three Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are larger numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes indoor sports and recreational fitness; indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, and casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits.

The province will remain in each step for at least 21 days to evaluate any impacts on key public health and health system indicators. If at the end of the 21 days, the following vaccination thresholds have been met, along with positive trends in other key public health and health system indicators, then the province will move to the next step:

• Step 1: 60 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose.
• Step 2: 70 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent vaccinated with two doses.
• Step 3: 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses.

The Ontario government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021. The Province will confirm closer to the expected start of Step One.