Last Friday, the Province announced that Ontario will move to Step 3 of their Roadmap to Reopen on Friday, July 16, 2021, and yesterday local municipalities, upon consulting with our local Medical Officer of Health announced that we will be moving to Step 3 at the same time.
Step 3 allows for larger indoor and outdoor gatherings, indoor dining, increased retail capacity, indoor sports and recreation and indoor events, attractions, and cultural amenities.
Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events are allowed with up to 100 people and indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people, with some exceptions. Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout Step 3. Face coverings will also be required in some outdoor public settings.
“Everywhere I go, there is a renewed level of energy and enthusiasm amongst Kitchener residents and businesses as we all strive towards a careful return to life and our new normal throughout this summer and fall,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Over the past 16 months, Kitchener residents have continually shown that not only are we a resilient community, but we are also a caring and compassionate community towards each other, and I’m confident that together, we will build back better from the pandemic and start to once again enjoy all this great city has to offer.”
Step 3 changes will impact the following City programs and services:
Sports and recreation
- Traditional sports play, including with contact, will return including indoor sports and recreational facilities with a maximum capacity of 50 per cent. More indoor programming to be available soon. Indoor pools are expected to open soon. More information to come.
- Spectators are allowed indoors up to 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity.
- Increased outdoor capacity limits at city sports fields, diamonds, and courts. Outdoor spectators are allowed at 75 per cent of usual seating capacity.
- Access to indoor clubhouses for outdoor sports are allowed up to 50 per cent capacity.
Kitchener Market
- Kitchener Market vendors will open with increased capacity. Limited to the number of people who can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
- Indoor and outdoor dining is permitted with physical distancing restrictions.
- For more information, visit www.kitchenermarket.ca
Weddings and funerals
- Indoor and outdoor wedding, funeral and religious services are allowed with physical distancing.
- Larger outdoor and indoor wedding receptions are permitted at Victoria Park Pavilion and Williamsburg Cemetery.
- For more information, visit www.kitchener.ca/wedding
Kitchener events
- Special events, including those hosted at indoor and outdoor event spaces, concert venues, theatres, and cinemas are allowed at 50 per cent capacity indoors (up to 1,000 people) and 75 per cent outdoors (with caps for seated and unseated events).
- For more information, visit www.kitchener.ca/events.
Community centres
- More in-person programming is allowed at community centres. Summer camps, outdoor fitness classes, youth programming, mobile skate parks, and emergency social services continue.
- For more information, visit www.kitchener.ca/communitycentres.
Kitchener Public Library
- All Kitchener Public Library locations are open for in-person browsing and computer and study seat access, by reservation.
- For more information, visit www.kpl.org/welcome.
Kitchener City Hall continues to be open for in-person counter service. Appointments are strongly encouraged. To book an appointment visit www.kitchener.ca/bookappointment.
“As we move into Step 3, it’s important to remember that Covid-19, and all its variants, including the Delta variant, are still active and present within our community,” added Mayor Vrbanovic. “Our ability to continue to move forward in this journey towards a new normal will be dependent on ensuring we all get two doses of the vaccine, encourage family and friends to do so and continue to follow public health guidelines such as masking and regular handwashing, when it is recommended to do so.”
For more information on impacts to city programs and services visit www.kitchener.ca/COVID19, and for details on Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen visit www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario
For more information:
Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca