booked up in just 2 and half hours. on may 19, ottawa public health announced that splash pads would be allowed to be open in the city beginning on the weekend. they would be allowed to be open during the stay-at-home order because they were considered to be "like playgrounds". however, unlike playgrounds, people would not have to wear masks while using them. a day later, after some splash pads had opened, it was announced that they would not be, as they were included as part of ontario's re-opening plan, set to take force june 14. on may 21, the province relented and decided to allow splash pads after all. on may 23, vaccine appointments were made available to anyone aged 12 and over. june on june 11 at 12:01am, bars and restaurants in the city will be allowed to open their patios (until 2am) as part of step one of the province's re-opening plans. on june 16, non-essential travel restrictions between ontario and quebec will be removed. july on july 11, it was announced that fans could be in attendance at a sporting event in the city for the first time since the pandemic began. 1,000 fans will be allowed to attend the final three remaining ottawa blackjacks games of the season, beginning july 17. on july 22, the city's state of emergency in effect since march 25, 2020 comes to an end. december on december 18, ottawa mayor jim watson announced that he tested positive for covid-19. following a spike in the number of cases thanks to the omicron variant, new capacity restrictions are re-imposed on businesses on december 20, capping capacity at 50%. on december 23, the city announced a new 25-person limit on outdoor ice rinks and trails, to come into effect december 26. february on february 17, the province removed capacity limits for restaurants, gyms, movie theatres, meeting spaces, gaming establishments and other indoor areas that opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements. private gathering sizes also increased to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. march on march 1, the province removed the proof of vaccination system requirement for non-essential businesses. notable closures relating to the pandemic • all places of worship • public schools • national museums criticism