Ontario announces gradual plan to reopen economy

On February 8, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced that the province will gradually transition each public health region in the province from the current shutdown and Stay-At-Home measures to a revised COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (the "Framework").

The Framework has been revised to further limit contact and the spread of COVID-19, including through the following measures:

• Permitting limited in-person shopping in Grey-Lockdown zones with public health and safety measures, such as reducing capacity in most retail settings to 25 percent.
• Requiring individuals to wear a face covering and maintain physical distance when indoors in a business, with limited exceptions.
• Requiring individuals to wear a face covering when attending an organized public event or gathering (where permitted) if they are within two metres distance of another individual who is not part of their household (both indoor and outdoor). All other requirements for gatherings and organized public events would be maintained.

‎The Government of Ontario also announced that based on the current public health information available, the following three regions will be moving back to the Framework at the Green-Prevent ‎level on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. and will no longer be subject to ‎the Stay-at-Home order:‎

• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health;‎
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health; and
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit.‎

The current Stay-at-Home order will be amended and individual orders making the Stay-At-Home order apply to each public health region will be made for all regions except for the three listed above. At present, the Government has ‎proposed that the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply to 28 public health regions ‎until Tuesday, February 16, 2021. The Stay-At-Home order has also been proposed to remain in effect in the public health units of Toronto, Peel and York regions until Monday, February 22, 2021. Final ‎decisions regarding lifting the Stay-At-Home order will be subject to review of the trends in public health indicators at that time.‎

The Government of Ontario is also introducing an "emergency brake" to allow for immediate action if a public health unit region experiences rapid acceleration in COVID-19 transmission or if its health care system risks becoming overwhelmed. In these circumstances, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, may advise to immediately move a region into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission.

Notwithstanding this announcement, the Government of Ontario is still strongly advising everyone to continue to stay at home, avoid social gatherings, minimize travel between areas with different rules, and limit close contacts to their household. The Government of Ontario has also recommended that employers in all industries continue to make every effort to allow employees to work from home.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates as soon as they become available. The COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving with new measures being adopted ‎or modified at both ‎the ‎federal and provincial level. For further information, please consult our ‎Coronavirus Resource ‎Centre or feel free to contact any member of our DLA Piper Canadian Employment and ‎Labour Law Service ‎Group, who will ‎ensure that you are acting upon the most up-to-date information.

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