More regions in Ontario moves to Stage 3 on Friday; Toronto and Peel excluded

Several regions in Ontario will advance to Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan this Friday but Toronto, Peel and Windsor are still excluded.

Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, Lambton and York regions will be given the green light to enter Stage 3.

He says Toronto, Peel, and Windsor-Essex will not move ahead, because all three have larger case counts of COVID-19 than other regions.

Regions in Stage 3 can hold indoor gatherings of up to 50 people, while outdoor gatherings can include as many as 100 people as long as physical distancing measures are in place.

Restaurants are permitted to resume indoor service as long as tables are spaced two-metres apart to encourage physical distancing.

Fitness facilities, movie theatres, and casinos are also permitted to reopen under Stage 3 rules.

Ontario is reporting 135 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death from the virus today.

The total number of cases now stands at 37,739, which includes a death toll of 2,752.

There are 33,513 cases marked as resolved, with 106 such cases reported today.

There have now been multiple days in a row where new cases have outpaced newly resolved cases.

The number of people in hospital, in intensive care and on a ventilator all rose in today's report.

The Ministry of Health says it was able to complete more than 20,000 tests for COVID-19 in the previous day.