TORONTO — The Ontario government is easing restrictions on wedding and funeral ceremonies across the province as part of the phased reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of people allowed to attend an indoor ceremony is restricted to 30 per cent capacity of the venue.
Outdoor events will be limited to 50 people.
The changes came into effect on Friday. However, the number of people allowed to attend all wedding and funeral receptions remains at 10.
Participants must follow health and safety protocols, including to physically distance from people not from the same household or their established 10-person social circle.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott says the changes are being made because of recent progress to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"As we loosen these measures, I strongly urge everyone to remain careful and cautious as we are all still at risk," she said in a statement.
There were 31,992 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday, an increase of 266 or 0.8 per cent from the prior day. The number of deaths has reached 2,507, with 64 per cent coming from long-term care homes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2020.
The Canadian Press