What you need to know as Hamilton enters Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan

You can see a movie, eat indoors, get your brows done, and have your kids play on the playground once Hamilton enters Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan on Friday.

Here's a look at some questions you might have, and what's opening and staying closed across the city. 

Can I get together with more friends now?

Gathering limits in Stage 3 have increased, with indoor gatherings up to a maximum of 50 people and outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 100 people. 

But in all of these cases, you still need to physically distance.

People are required to stay at least two metres apart from those outside of their household or social circles. 

Social circles are staying at a limit of 10 people. These are the family members, housemates, and friends you can hug. The circle has to be exclusive — you can only be part of one circle of 10. 

Businesses also have to follow the limits, but workers don't count toward the number of people. 

Limits on weddings, funerals, and other religious services, rites or ceremonies are also staying the same. For these events, people can fill up 30 per cent capacity of the room. 

Do I still have to wear a mask?

Hamilton requires you to wear a mask in public, indoor spaces. It needs to be worn unless you are eating, drinking or working out.

For personal services that are close up to your face, you have to wear a mask unless it covers the area that needs addressing. 

What's open and closed in Stage 3 in Hamilton?

Dine-in restaurants

It might still be patio season, but all restaurants, bars, concession stands and food and drink establishments can open for indoor dining.

Buffets aren't allowed yet, and everyone has to be seated when drinking or eating. The two-metre rule applies here too, including at tastings at wineries, breweries or distilleries. 

Nightclubs can only open for serving food and drinks. And if dinner comes with a show, there has to be a barrier between you and the singer. 

Gyms

Fitness studios and gyms are allowed to open. When lifting weights, using exercise machines, or taking a class, you have to be two metres apart. 

You also have to physically distance unless playing a team sport, or if contact is needed for personal training. 

High-body contact sports like wrestling and judo aren't allowed just yet.

Steam rooms, saunas and oxygen bars are also not allowed to open. The city opened 14 of its pools earlier in July. 

Ear piercing and face services

Hair salons, spas and beauty salons were allowed to open in Stage 2. But now they can restart all services that tend to a customer's face.

This means it's fair game to get facials, ear piercings, eyelash extensions and your brows done. 

Movies, live shows, casinos

You can see a show at a movie theatre, though the experience will be a different one. The Playhouse, Westdale Theatre and Cine Starz in Burlington will all open their doors on Friday. Cineplex is still pushing the province to relax restrictions so 50 people are permitted per screen, rather than per building. 

Concerts and theatre productions can also restart operations as long as there are barriers and a physically distanced audience. 

Casinos are open, but table games like blackjack remain closed. Slot machines and electronic gaming machines are open, and have to be cleaned and disinfected. 

Other attractions

Arcade rooms, escape rooms, bowling alleys and pool halls are all allowed to open so long as they keep people apart and equipment clean. 

Alcatraz Escape Rooms is opening on Friday. Splitsville's Hamilton and Burlington locations open Aug. 7. 

Museums and attractions are also allowed to reopen their "high-contact surfaces," like interactive exhibits and displays. 

Tours, including boat tours, can resume under the gathering limits. 

Recreational courses, like music lessons, language classes, tutoring and art classes can also restart. But plexiglass or some other kind of barrier is needed if people are singing or playing wind or brass instruments. 

Amusement parks and water parks are still staying closed. 

City hall

City hall opened on Monday and will stay open between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Monday to Friday. 

The city says it will start to accept applications for permits to hold events of 100 people or less in municipal parks (like family picnics) in August. 

Play structures, libraries

Hamilton will reopen all of its play structures on Friday. Signs will come down and caution tape will be removed, but people are still cautioned to stay two metres apart from each other, and wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Drinking fountains across the city are reopening, but you can only use them as bottle filling stations. Residents aren't allowed to drink directly from the fountains.

The city is also opening the Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Masks are required. 

As of July 28, all Hamilton Public Library branches are open for takeout, which means you can order and pick up a hold placed on a book, CD, or movie.

The library also recently announced that it would be waiving fees collected during the pandemic for everyone and stopping them for youth.

The latest numbers

Hamilton has 15 known cases of COVID-19 right now. Overall, the city has seen 881 cases (872 confirmed, nine probable) as of Thursday, of which 822 people have recovered and 44 have died. 

In Brant/Brantford, four people are known to have COVID-19 right now. All told, there have been 136 cases, of which 128 have recovered and four have died. 

Haldimand-Norfolk has 21 cases. It's seen 448 since the start of the pandemic, of which 395 have recovered and 32 have died. 

In Halton, there are 33 active cases, and 10 are in Burlington. Halton has seen 902 cases (84 probable, 818 confirmed), of which 844 have recovered and 25 have died. In Burlington, there have been 185 known cases of COVID-19 (167 confirmed, 18 probable). Seven people have died and 169 have recovered.

In Niagara, 47 people are known to have the virus right now. Sixty-four of the total 816 confirmed cases have died and 705 have recovered.