Ontario says it will lift its COVID-19 vaccine certificate system on March 1st.

On that date, the province will also lift capacity limits in all indoor settings.

Masking requirements will stay in place for now, but the province says a timeline to lift them will come later.

Premier Doug Ford says with public health indicators improving, the province can fast-track its plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions, including moving the next step of its reopening plan up to Thursday, February 17th, instead of next Monday.

On that day, social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, while capacity limits will be removed in places such as restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theatres.

The province is also announcing that youth aged 12 to 17 can book booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as of 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 18th.