Bret Kavanaugh on Unsplash
emergency measures
On Saturday, April 11, 2020 The Ontario government extended all emergency orders until April 23, 2020 and also introduced new measures.
New emergency measures introduced will address:
- Surge capacity in retirement homes
- Restrict recreational camping on Crown land
- Allow the repurposing of existing buildings and temporary structures
All of these actions are based on the advice of Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health.
New Emergency Measures
- 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.
The following emergency orders have been extended until April 23, 2020:
- Closure of public places and establishments with exemption for emergency child care for health care and frontline essential service workers
- Prohibiting events and gatherings of more than five people
- Work deployment for health service providers
- Drinking water and sewage
- Electronic service of documents
- Work deployment for long-term care homes
- Electricity pricing
- Closure of non-essential workplaces
- Traffic management
- Streamlining requirements for long-term care homes
- Prohibiting unfair pricing for necessary goods
- 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 deli very of cannabis
- Signatures in wills and powers of attorney
- Use of force and firearms in policing services
- Closure of outdoor recreational amenities
QUICK FACTS
- Temporary facilities must be designed and reviewed by qualified professionals (such as licensed architects and professional engineers) and municipal Building Officials must inspect the facilities to ensure they are safe.
- The Construction Act is intended to regulate how payments are made, to help ensure that workers who have provided services or materials during a construction project are paid for their work.
