The Ontario Government has extended the state of emergency declared on March 17th to April 14, 2020. All associated emergency orders issued under the state of emergency have also been extended.
 
The following venues remain closed under this declaration:
• Indoor recreation facilities
• Public Libraries
• Licensed child care facilities
• Private Schools
• Theatres
• Concert Venues
• All bars and restaurants, except those providing takeout or delivery options.
• Outdoor recreational facilities including playgrounds and sports fields
• Non-essential businesses

The Ontario Government has issued an emergency order prohibiting all social gatherings and organized public events of more than five people in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including parades, events and communal services with places of worship. This replaces the previous order that prohibited organized public events of more than 50.  This order would not apply to private households with more than five people. Funerals would be permitted to proceed with up to 10 people at a time.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, is strongly recommending that all individuals over 70 years of age self-isolate. This means only leaving home or seeing other people for essential reasons. Where possible, you should seek services over the phone or internet or ask for help from friends, family or neighbours with essential errands. This also applies to individuals who have compromised immune systems and/or underlying medical conditions.

In addition, he is strongly recommending that all local public health units in Ontario use their powers under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act to enforce the mandatory self-isolation of all COVID-19 cases and contacts.

Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer has issued additional guidance to employers to do everything they can to make their workplaces safe. Employers continue to have obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations to protect workers from hazards in the workplace, including infectious diseases. 

Workers can report any concerns about workplace hazards related to COVID-19 to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development at 1-877-202-0008. 

As of today, Ministry inspectors have visited 1,454 workplaces and issued 286 orders related to COVID-19. Inspectors will continue their work every day to ensure the Ontario workers are safe on the job.

Unfortunately, in recent days we have seen a small number of businesses and individuals selling basic necessities for higher than normal prices. In response, the Government of Ontario has announced new penalties to combat price gouging and hold offenders accountable.

Effective immediately, individual offenders can face a ticket of $750 fine with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and/or one year in jail. Convicted company directors can face up to $500,000 and/or one year in jail. Corporations can face fines of up to $10 million dollars.

The Ontario Government is investing $50 million into the Ontario Together Fund to provide innovative solutions or assist companies retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and/or equipment.

In addition, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade have worked closely with businesses across Ontario and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association to ramp up production of ventilators and other essential medical supplies to meet the need in Ontario and other parts of Canada.

The government recently placed an order with O-Two Medical Technologies who, with the support of Ontario's world-class manufacturing sector, will produce 10,000 ventilator units.

Ontario has enhanced the public information about COVID-19 through a new dedicated web page which features detailed summaries of epidemiological data provided by Public Health Ontario.

Mayor John Tory recently announced that all public events on City of Toronto property are cancelled until June 30, 2020.

These include:
• City-led major events, festivals, conferences, and cultural programs;
• All City permits issued for major events organized by eternal groups at Civic Centres, squares, parks, public spaces including road closures, City-operated museums and culture centres.

Municipal by-law enforcement officers and Toronto Police are actively enforcing city by-laws and provincial emergency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. To report a potential contravention of emergency orders in the City of Toronto, please call 311.
 
Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, individuals can face a fine of $750 for failure to comply with a provincial emergency order if ticketed by a provincial offenses officer.  If a summons is issued, failure to comply with an emergency order could carry punishments of up to one-year imprisonment or a fine of up to $100,000 for an individual, $500,000 for a director of a corporation, or $10,000,000 for a corporation itself.

Under an order issued by Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, people who have travelled internationally, have COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 are ordered to stay home for 14 days.
 
For more information: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/