As we are all unfortunately well-aware, COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise and intensive care units across the province are, once again, teetering on the brink of being overwhelmed. In response, the Ford government has imposed province-wide shutdown measures designed to interrupt the transmission of COVID-19. These measures are purportedly different than the previous lockdown or colour coded system (although spotting the differences is beginning to feel like a game of "Where's Waldo").
In any event, the provincial shutdown includes a number of public health and workplace safety measures, found in their entirety here. As with the last lockdown, the government has ordered that all employees work from home except where necessary, i.e. where the nature of their work requires them to be on site at the workplace. Other restrictions include the expected guidance regarding physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, and limited capacity for businesses.
Overall, it is unlikely that this new shutdown will have a significant impact on employers as the "best practices" for infection prevention remain unchanged.
As always, the team at CCPartners will continue to update our readers and listeners on all other pertinent developments regarding benefits and legislative changes related to COVID-19 through our Employers' Edge Blog and Lawyers for Employers Podcast series.
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