On April 27, 2020, the Government of Ontario (Government)
unveiled its frameworkof "guiding principles" for a
gradual, staged approach to loosening its emergency COVID-19
measures and reopening Ontario's economy. The framework does
not include specific timelines by which any steps will be taken.
Rather, timing will be driven by public health advice based on a
range of observable criteria, including the rate of virus spread
and containment, health system capacity, public health system
capacity and incidence tracking capacity. As part of the gradual
approach to reopening the economy, the Government has made clear
that workplace safety will be a top priority.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR ONTARIO WORKPLACES
Broadly, there are three phases of Ontario's COVID-19
response: the "protect," "restart" and
"recover" phases. The Government is planning a
stage-by-stage approach within the "restart" phase, as
follows:
Stage 1: Select workplaces which were ordered to
close or restrict operations may be permitted to reopen. These
workplaces must be able to immediately meet—or modify
operations to meet—public health guidelines and occupational
health and safety requirements.
Stage 2: Additional workplaces "with
significant mitigation plans" may be reopened based on risk
assessments. These workplaces may include those in certain service,
office and retail industries.
Stage 3: Reopening all workplaces
"responsibly" will be considered.
Public health officials will monitor each stage for two to four
weeks, as they assess the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak to
determine if it is necessary to change course. They will be looking
for a consistent decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases
observed, and adequate health care, contact tracing and testing
capacities must be available, before progressing to any subsequent
stage. Throughout each stage, businesses can expect that there will
be continued protections for vulnerable populations, and that
practices such as physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory
hygiene will continue to be in place.
Specific details on the types of businesses that will be able to
reopen during these stages have not yet been announced. However,
the ability of a workplace to implement effective protective and
preventative measures will be a critical consideration.
The Government has stated that workplaces must have a plan
promoting adherence to strict hygiene, sanitation and physical
distancing standards in order to reopen. It announced that it will
be developing guidelines, training and other resources to assist
employers with the task of safely reopening their businesses. While
details and timing of these resources have not yet been provided,
Ontario's framework indicates that these resources "will
build on the guidelines provided to essential workplaces,"
which currently remain open.
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