Ontario announces reopening starting Saturday, stage one to begin Tuesday

Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed media Thursday to announce the details around the province's economic reopening plan.

In what will be the first phase of a multi-step roll out, Ford gave details on the timeline of when stage one will fully begin, so that small businesses and parks could reopen.

Ford announced that this Saturday at 12:01 am, private parks and campgrounds, marinas, boat clubs, golf courses, and businesses that board animals will be allowed to reopen.

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On Tuesday, May 19, Ontario will enter "Stage One" in the province's reopening, allowing retail stores with street entrances not located in shopping malls, "with strict social distancing measures in place." Outdoor sports fields, tennis courts, and off-leash dog parks, veterinarians and pet groomers, household services such as cleaning and maintenance, and essential construction will be allowed to resume.

"Businesses should open only if they are ready," stressed Ford, saying that Ontarians need to keep in mind that the future is dependent on the number of infections.

"We need to be ready to react if we see a sudden increase in cases... We need to remember that as we ramp up more and more daily tests... the risk of flare-ups is real."

Ford said that in terms of lifting the emergency order of joining in groups of more than five, Ford said it was up to the medical officer, and that more news was to come in the days ahead.

The Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli said the move "allows the retail sector to reopen should they decide to," saying that it "opens the door, physically."

Fedeli highlighted three ways for businesses to reopen: either through online sales, retail curbside pickup, or actually opening their doors to their businesses, while following the guidelines around social distancing.

The full guidelines can be found at Ontario.ca/covid

This is a breaking news article and will be updated.