Let's be optimistic. According to Ontario's FAQ document, they intended all along to pause and reopen registration throughout the year in order to give people the chance to apply throughout the year. Last year, they could not take any more applications after May because they had already received enough to fill their quota. So they imposed the current hold so that we could apply later this year:
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/prodconsum/groups/csc/@oipp/documents/document/oi_en_oinp_faq.pdf
1) Why is the OINP implementing limit on application intake?
The popularity of the OINP continues to grow. By May 2016, Ontario had received a sufficient number of program applications to fulfill its 2016 allocation. In January 2016 alone, the program received over 1,800 applications. To ensure processing efficiency and quality customer service, the OINP will be monitoring the volume of applications to its Express Entry Human Capital Priorities and International Masters and PhD student streams. These streams will be paused and reopened periodically throughout the year until the province’s 2017 federal allocation is fulfilled. Stakeholders will be informed when streams are temporarily paused and reopened again via the OINP Updates webpage.
6) When will the OINP accept more applications after the initial limit on the intake of applications is reached?
To ensure processing efficiency and quality customer service, the OINP will be monitoring the volume of applications to each of these streams. These streams will be paused and reopened periodically throughout the year until the province’s 2017 federal allocation is fulfilled. Stakeholders will be informed when streams are temporarily paused and reopened again via the OINP Updates webpage
How many spots are still available will become more clear after they update their stats (hopefully soon)
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/pnp/OI_PNP_PROCESSINGTIMES.html