Additions to Stage 3 Attendance Limits

Effective Friday, July 24, 2020

Seven additional regions enter Stage 3 of Ontario’s re-opening plan subject to the following attendance limits:

Indoor funeral services and visitations are limited to 30 per cent of the capacity of the room, while maintaining two-metre physical distancing between attendees. (This is unchanged from the previous Registrar’s Directive of June 13.) 

Outdoor funeral services and visitations including graveside services are limited to a maximum of 100 attendees. Funeral Directors must have sufficient numbers of staff present to ensure physical distancing is maintained. Cemeteries are permitted to restrict attendance numbers to less than the maximum. (Funeral professionals should confirm these restrictions in advance of the service.)   

The following public health unit regions will be allowed to move into Stage 3 at 12:01 a.m., Friday, July 24, 2020:

• Durham Region Health Department;
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit;
• Halton Region Health Department;
• Hamilton Public Health Services;
• Lambton Health Unit;
• Niagara Region Public Health Department; and
• York Region Public Health Services. 

The seven jurisdictions will join the others added to Stage 3 last Friday.

The following regions will remain in Stage 2 until the government determines local trends of key public health indicators demonstrate readiness to move into Stage 3:
-Peel Public Health;
-Toronto Public Health; and
-Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. 

As per the Registrar’s Directive, effective July 8:  Wearing a mask or face coverings remains mandatory for all persons (funeral staff and attendees) inside all funeral establishments or any other indoor setting where a funeral or visitation is held in the following public health jurisdictions:

• Windsor-Essex County
• Chatham-Kent
• Lambton
• Middlesex-London
• Haldimand-Norfolk
• Niagara
• Hamilton
• Region of Waterloo
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
• Halton
• Peel
• Toronto
• York
• Simcoe-Muskoka
• Durham
• Haliburton-Kawartha-Pine Ridge
• Leeds-Grenville-Lanark
• Ottawa

Wearing a mask or face covering is strongly advised at all funerals or visitations in all other jurisdictions.

-Carey Smith, CEO/Registrar