TORONTO—Ontario will move to the third stage of its reopening plan next Friday—several days ahead of schedule—allowing gyms and restaurants to open indoor operations and larger gatherings to take place. The government said high vaccination rates and improvements in other pandemic metrics had allowed for the early move to Step 3. It said positive trends are expected to continue up until the July 16 reopening date. Premier Doug Ford thanked Ontarians who have been administering and receiving vaccines, saying they’ve helped the province progress faster. “While this is welcome news for everyone who wants a return to normal, we will not slow down our efforts to fully vaccinate everyone who wants to be and put this pandemic behind us once and for all,” he said in a statement announcing the news Friday. As of Friday, 78 percent of adults in the province had at least once dose of a COVID-19 …