Toronto and Peel to move to Stage 2 Wednesday

Toronto, Peel Region get green light for Stage 2 reopening starting Wednesday

12:07 p.m.: Residents of Toronto and Peel Region can get their hair cut, dine out on a restaurant patio, and shop at indoor malls as of Wednesday after coronavirus restrictions are lifted following 14 weeks of lockdown.

Premier Doug Ford will make the news official later Monday, with Windsor-Essex, plagued by new cases of COVID-19 among migrant farm workers, the lone Ontario region remaining in the first stage.

Toronto and Peel will join Durham, Halton, York, and Hamilton, which moved to the second stage of reopening last Friday.

It will have been 100 days since Toronto restaurants could serve dine-in meals or stylists and barbers can cut hair.

Read the full story from the Star’s Robert Benzie.

Ontario has been in a state of emergency since March 17. That is slated to continue until June 30, although MPPs are expected to extend for one final time though July 15.

However, Ford has warned some COVID-19 restrictions could remain in place after the state of emergency expires next month.

Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, emergency orders — such as limiting large gatherings of people and restricting some businesses from opening — can continue after the termination of a declaration emergency.

Those orders cannot be amended in any way.