Ontario Extends Emergency Orders to Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19

New order issued to support people with mental health and addictions issues

News.ontario.ca
April 24, 2020

On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is extending 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 May 6, 2020. This extension will help protect the health and well-being of people across the province and stop the spread of COVID-19.

This Emergency Order extension includes 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 limiting staff from working in more than one retirement home or long-term care home.

"We are making steady progress in our battle against this deadly virus, but we are not out of the woods by a long shot. It is absolutely necessary to extend these emergency orders to continue keeping all Ontarians safe and healthy," said Premier Doug Ford. "Every effort made by each of us to stay home, practise physical distancing and wash your hands has been, and will continue to be, the key to stopping the spread of this virus."

In addition, the government has introduced a new measure to allow mental health and addictions agencies to redeploy staff within different locations or between programs, and employ extra part-time staff, temporary staff or contractors in order to ensure people continue receiving the high quality care they expect and deserve during the COVID-19 outbreak. Agencies would be required to provide appropriate training and education to achieve the purposes of a redeployment plan.

The following emergency orders have been extended until May 6, 2020:

Closure of establishments

• Prohibiting public events and gatherings or more than five people
• Work deployment measures for health care workers
• Drinking water and sewage
• Electronic service of documents
• Work deployment for long-term care homes
• Off-peak electricity pricing
• Closure of places of non-essential businesses
• Traffic management
• Streamlining requirements for long-term care homes
• Prohibiting unfair pricing on necessary goods
• Closure of outdoor recreational amenities
• Enforcement of orders
• Work deployment for boards of health
• Work deployment measures in retirement homes
• Access to COVID-19 status information by specified persons
• Service agencies providing services and supports to adults with developmental disabilities
• Pick up and delivery of cannabis
• Signatures in wills and powers of attorney
• Use of force and firearms in policing services
• Child care fees
• Agreements between health service providers and retirement homes
• Temporary health or residential facilities
• Closure of public lands for recreational camping
• Work deployment measures for service agencies providing violence against women residential services and crisis line services
• Limiting work to a single long-term care home
• Work deployment for district social services administration boards
• Deployment of employees of service provider organizations
• Work deployment measures for municipalities
• Limiting work to a single retirement home

Quick Facts

• 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 last extended on April 14, 2020 and is currently in effect until May 12, 2020.
• Ontario has already provided additional funding to expand online and virtual mental health supports during the outbreak.
• Over 600 community agencies provide community mental health and addictions services in Ontario. These agencies provide services and supports to over one million Ontarians each year.