The Ontario government is extending emergency orders currently under effect until June 19th.
The province is also extending the suspension of limitation periods and time periods for legal proceedings until September.
The Government of Ontario declared a provincial emergency on March 17, 2020 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This declaration of emergency was also recently extended and is currently in effect until June 30, 2020.
The government says extending the emergency orders will give employers of frontline care providers the necessary flexibility to respond to COVID-19 and protect vulnerable people and the public as the province gradually and safely reopens.
Current emergency orders that have been extended include those that enable frontline care providers to redeploy staff where they are needed most, allow public health units to redeploy or hire staff to support case management and contact tracing, and prohibits long-term care and retirement home employees from working at more than one home or for another health service provider.
“It is critical that we keep these emergency orders in place so we can continue to reopen the province gradually and safely,” said Premier Doug Ford. “We are not out of the woods yet, and this deadly virus still poses a serious risk. We encourage businesses to begin preparing to reopen, so when the time comes, they will be able to protect employees, consumers and the general public.”
Additionally, the province says due to COVID-19’s unprecedented impact on the justice system, the government is extending the suspension of limitation periods and time periods in proceedings until September 11, 2020 under s.7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This will ensure people will not experience legal consequences if the original time requirements of their case are not met while this order is in effect. The province is working closely with the courts to ensure operations can resume as soon as it is safely possible.
Anyone who suspects they may have COVID-19, or may have been exposed to the virus, is encouraged to visit an assessment centre to be tested. To help stop the spread, people should practise physical distancing by staying at least two metres apart from anyone outside their immediate household, wash hands thoroughly and frequently, and, if physical distancing is a challenge, wear a face covering.
The following emergency orders under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act have been extended until June 19, 2020:
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