request for this information would be a ticketable offence. premier ford stated that "i have never shied away from telling you the brutal honest truth, never shied away from tough decisions and today i am here to do just that. my friends we are losing the battle between variants and vaccines", and that "we need to step up enforcement and we need to focus on those who are deliberately putting others at risk by ignoring the stay-at-home order." the new measures faced criticism; the province did not introduce paid sick leave, the new police authority was criticized for resembling carding and having a disproportionate impact to bipoc communities, while a number of municipal police departments announced that they would not perform random stops under the measure. on april 17, jones announced that the new police authority would be narrowed to only allow them to stop and ticket individuals they suspect are participating in a public event or social gathering. despite the changes, the revised measures elicited continued concerns. criticism has also been raised over the prohibition of outdoor recreation, due to outdoor spaces being considered to have a generally lower risk of transmission over indoor spaces, and calls for the provincial government to promote outdoor recreation for physical and mental health. the province backpedaled on restricting playgrounds, but the remainder of the order remains in effect. on april 20, 2021, peel public health issued a section 22 order effective april 23, requiring any business that has been linked to five or more covid-19 infections within the past 14 days to shut down for 10 days. all employees of the business must self-isolate for the duration, and it is "strongly recommended" that impacted employees be provided with paid leave. peel public health stated that "workplace exposures in peel region continue to drive the region's high case counts of covid-19. expedited closure will also allow peel public health to investigate workplace exposures without risk of continued spread." this order will not apply to healthcare, schools, or other "critical infrastructure". toronto public health subsequently issued a nearly identical order. on april 22, 2021, in his first public appearance since april 16, and while self-isolating due to being a close contact of a positive case within his staff, premier ford admitted that the new enforcement measures announced last friday "went too far". he also announced that ontario was working on developing a paid sick leave benefit, arguing that they needed to fill "gaps" in the crsb that were not fulfilled by the 2021 federal budget, and that they planned to make it "the best program in north america". the province officially announced the temporary "covid-19 worker income protection benefit program" on april 29, providing up to three paid sick days for full-time or part-time workers, and paying up to $200 per day. employers will be reimbursed via the workplace safety and insurance board (wsib). the program will last through september 25, 2021 (the last day of the crsb), and is retroactive to april 19, 2021. on may 13, 2021, the stay-at-home order was extended by 14 days through june 2. premier ford stated that the additional time was necessary in order to ensure that "most normal july and august possible", but that this would not allow large public gatherings such as concerts or sporting events. transition from stay-at-home order and step 1 on may 20, 2021, alongside the announcement of a new roadmap for lifting restrictions, ford announced that beginning may 22, outdoor recreation amenities would be allowed to reopen, and outdoor gatherings of up to five people would also be permitted. on may 21, 2021, with warmer weather, splash pads were opened ahead of the victoria day weekend. on june 2, 2021, the stay-at-home order officially expired, leaving the province with some restrictions, bans on outdoor activities like camping stayed closed. on june 7, 2021, it was announced ontario would enter step 1 on june 11 at 12:01am. three-step roadmap for reopening on may 20, 2021, premier ford announced a three-step plan to reopen the economy, based on vaccination rate goals. initially, the province was to stay in each step for a minimum of 21 days before moving onto the next. however, each reopening step was put in place before 21 days had passed. ontario covid-19 three-step roadmap for reopening step start date vaccination requirement description 1 june 11, 2021 60% of adults (18+) have received at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine sectors reopening: outdoor gatherings 10+ outdoor dining for tables of up to 4 people non-essential retail at 15% essential retail at 25% socially distant outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies outdoor sports and fitness of up to 10 people day camps campsites and campgrounds outdoor zoos, landmarks, historic sites, and botanical gardens outdoor pools and wading pools short-term rentals ontario parks outdoor horse racing and motor speedways retail stores in malls closed unless the stores have a street-facing entrance 2 june 30, 2021 70% of adults (18+) have received at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine and 20% have received full vaccination (both doses) sectors reopening: outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people small indoor gatherings of up to 5 people outdoor dining of up to 6 people per table essential retail at 50% non-essential retail at 25% personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times outdoor meeting and event spaces outdoor amusement and water parks outdoor boat tour operators outdoor county fairs and rural exhibitions outdoor sports leagues and events outdoor cinemas, performing arts, live music, events and attractions 3 july 16, 2021 70–80% of adults (18+) have received at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine and 25% have received full vaccination (both doses) sectors reopening: private indoor gatherings of 25 people are permitted and outdoor gatherings of 100 people are permitted essential and non-essential retail capacity is based on social distancing of two metres indoor religious services, rites, and ceremony gatherings capacity is based on physical distancing of two metres indoor meeting and event spaces at 50% capacity or 1,000 people maximum indoor dining is permitted with no table size limits, capacity limited to physical distancing of two metres indoor sports and recreational facilities are permitted to open at 50% capacity museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals are permitted to 50% capacity indoors and 75% capacity outdoors concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at 50% capacity indoors or a total of 1,000 people for seated events, or 75% capacity outdoors or a total of 5,000 people for standing-room events personal care services that require the removal of face coverings are permitted as long as physical distancing of two metres can be maintained real estate open houses as long as physical distancing of two metres can be maintained nightclubs at 25% capacity or 250 people maximum beyond step 3 to be determined further relaxation of restrictions was put on hold due to the delta variant. relaxation of capacity and social distancing restrictions except in certain cases (such as hospitals and health clinics) however the mask mandate will continue to be in effect. proof of vaccination requirements begin (september 22, 2021–present) on september 1, 2021, despite having initially been against the concept as to not create a "split society", premier ford announced that the province would mandate the presentation of proof of vaccination in order to access certain non-essential indoor businesses, effective september 22, 2021. the province announced plans to also develop a verifiable digital credential in qr code format. ford criticized prime minister justin trudeau for not developing a domestic vaccine passport at the federal level, despite him having only previously called for one to be developed for international travel. patrons 12 years of age or older must present proof of full vaccination in order to access the indoor areas of the following settings, unless otherwise noted: restaurants and bars (dine-in service) nightclubs (including outdoor areas), strip clubs, bathhouses, and sex clubs entertainment and gaming venues such as cinemas, concert halls, casinos, etc. sports and recreation facilities, such as pools, gyms, and fitness centres, and the seating areas of indoor sports venues there are exceptions for persons under 18 years of age that are participating in organized sports activities. however, some health units (such as windsor–essex county and toronto) have revoked this exception and require all participants to be fully vaccinated, regardless of age. effective december 20, 2021, this exception is removed province-wide. meeting and event spaces there are exceptions for the attendees of a funeral service or wedding ceremony. however, receptions are still subject to mandate. racing facilities patrons must present the ontario covid-19 vaccination receipt and valid photo identification. valid medical exemptions include adverse reactions to the first vaccine dose, or life-threatening allergies to vaccine ingredients, and must be issued by a doctor. on october 14, 2021, ontario began to roll out proof of vaccination expressed as a qr code. they can be checked by businesses using the verify ontario mobile app. the app was developed in partnership with maple leaf sports & entertainment (mlse). following the implementation of the proof of vaccination system, on september 25, 2021, certain venues where vaccination is mandated were given increased capacity limits. most indoor facilities' capacity limits were increased to 50 percent or 10,000 people (whichever is higher). certain outdoor venues where people stand were increased to 75 percent or 15,000 people (whichever is higher) and for outdoor venues where people are seated, this was increased to 75 percent or 30,000 people (whichever is higher). on october 8, 2021, ahead of the opening of new seasons in the national basketball association (nba) and in the national hockey league (nhl), premier ford announced that capacity limits would be lifted for certain venues and events where proof of vaccination is required, including cinemas, theatres, and concerts, the seating areas of sports, recreation, and racing facilities, meeting and event spaces (subject to social distancing), and the studio audiences of commercial film and television productions. this decision faced criticism from the restaurant industry for being a double standard, noting that indoor arenas would be allowed to operate at full capacity with nearly 20,000 spectators, but restaurants are still subject to capacity limits. an ontario government spokesperson stated that restaurants were deemed a higher-risk setting due to patrons not wearing masks for prolonged periods. the involvement of mlse—owner of most of toronto's professional sports teams—in the development of the verify ontario app was also scrutinized by the industry, who accused the provincial government of favouring the interests of larger corporations over small businesses. ford denied the accusations, stating that the changes impacted multiple industries beyond just sports. mlse stated that they were being a "good corporate citizen", and their involvement primarily involved refinements to a beta version of the app. they also highlighted other contributions they had made in support of the pandemic response, including use of their facilities as homeless shelters and vaccination sites. on october 22, 2021, premier ford announced a long-term plan to eventually lift the remaining public health measures; on october 25, 2021, capacity restrictions were lifted for most facilities where proof of vaccination is presently required. this does not apply to specific "high-risk" settings, such as food and drink establishments (including wedding receptions) with dance floors, nightclubs, strip clubs, and sex clubs. personal care services can operate at full capacity if all customers are fully vaccinated. by november 15, 2021, capacity limits were to be removed at other facilities and venues that are "high-risk" but require proof of vaccination. by january 17, 2022, the proof of vaccination requirement was to be removed for restaurants, sports facilities, and casinos. the requirement could be lifted from other venues over time. by march 28, 2022, all remaining province-wide health orders issued pursuant to the reopening ontario act were to be revoked and lifted. officials have stated that health measures may be reintroduced on a regional basis if needed. on october 28, 2021, restrictions on the capacity of general admission indoor concerts were lifted, including the requirement that all patrons be seated. this was moved ahead from the original second step on november 15. on november 10, 2021, the lifting of capacity restrictions for "high-risk" venues was delayed for at least 28