Provincial Government Extends Emergency Orders Until April 23rd

Saturday, 11 April 2020 09:55

The emergency orders would include closing outdoor amenities in parks and recreational areas, public places and bars and restaurants, plus restrictions on social gatherings.

ONTARIO - The Ontario government has extended all emergency orders that have been put in place to-date under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until April 23rd, 2020.

The decision was made in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 across the province.

These orders would include the closure of outdoor amenities in parks and recreational areas, non-essential workplaces, public places and bars and restaurants, along with restrictions on social gatherings and the prohibition of price gouging.

Premier Doug Ford says people should continue to stay home and practice physical distancing.

"I understand the actions we are taking are affecting the lives and livelihoods of people across the province, but these are extraordinary times and we need to do whatever we can to keep individuals and families safe and stop the spread of this terrible virus. We all must continue to do our part by staying home and practicing physical distancing. With the proper precautions and additional measures we're taking today, I am confident we will get through this together and stronger.

To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Province is introducing the following new steps:

Making it easier to repurpose existing buildings and put up temporary structures, like tents, so communities can meet their local needs quickly. This will reduce pressure on health care facilities, where needed, and help shelters provide more space for sleeping to maintain the physical distancing requirements to reduce the spread of the virus.
Temporarily enabling hospitals to increase their capacity by using the beds and services of retirement homes without certain labour relations implications during the declared provincial emergency.
Prohibiting recreational camping on Crown land as of April 9, 2020. Under the emergency order, no individual can camp on Crown land, including the placement of tents or other camping structures, while the order is in effect. The government will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate if further actions are required.
Supporting construction workers and businesses with emergency action to help improve cash flow in the construction industry during the COVID-19 outbreak. This will lift the suspension of limitation periods and procedural time periods under the Construction Act and allow the release of holdback payments to contractors and subcontractors

Among the emergency orders that have been extended include prohibiting events or gatherings of more than five people, work deployment for long-term care homes and closure of recreational amenities.

To learn more on how the provincial government is continuing to protect people in Ontario from COVID-19, you can visit their website. Also, you can visit here to see more on the emergency information and orders.