TORONTO - More businesses and public spaces in Toronto and nearby Peel Region will be able to reopen on Friday as those areas join most of Ontario in Stage 3 of the government's COVID-19 recovery plan.

But the province says the Windsor-Essex region, which has been grappling with outbreaks on farms, will remain in Stage 2 for the time being.

In a release issued this morning, the province says it will continue to monitor the situation in Windsor-Essex and provide assistance through measures such as on-farm testing.

The three areas had been held back in Stage 2 because officials said they wanted more data before giving the green light for a broader reopening.

Twenty-four of Ontario's 34 public health units were allowed to enter Stage 3 on July 17, with another seven joining them on July 24.

In Stage 3, nearly all businesses and public spaces can reopen, with health measures in place, and people can gather in larger groups.