Ontario government extends COVID-19 pandemic orders until Sept. 22

The Ontario government says under the “Reopening Ontario Act (ROA)” it is extending current orders until Sept. 22 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government said the extensions give it the ability to address ongoing risks and effects of the virus and to ensure measures remain in place to protect the population.

“We’ve seen great progress in our fight against COVID-19 in recent weeks, but now is not the time to let our guard down,” Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a news release Thursday.

“We must continue safely and gradually down the path to recovery while tackling the ongoing effects of this pandemic. We’re conducting an ongoing review and assessment of all orders to determine if they are still necessary and will relax restrictions or lift orders when it is safe to do so.”

The state of emergency for Ontario, which was declared on March 16, was terminated on July 24 when the ROA came into effect.

Under the ROA, orders can be extended for up to 30 days.

A list of following orders under the ROA that have been extended until Sept. 22 include:

• Work Redeployment for Certain Health Service Providers
• Drinking Water Systems and Sewage Works
• Electronic Service
• Electricity Price for RPP Consumers
• Work Deployment Measures in Long-Term Care Homes
• Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes
• Prohibition on Certain Persons Charging Unconscionable Prices for Sales of Necessary Goods
• Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Health
• Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes
• Service Agencies Providing Services and Supports to Adults with Developmental Disabilities and Service Providers Providing Intervenor Services
• Signatures in Wills and Powers of Attorney
• Use of Force and Firearms in Policing Services
• Temporary Health or Residential Facilities
• 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 Measures 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
• Work Deployment Measures for Mental Health and Addictions Agencies
• Congregate Care Settings
• Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record
• Certain Persons Enabled to Issue Medical Certificates of Death
• Hospital Credentialing Processes
• Treatment of Temporary COVID-19 Related Payments to Employees
• Management of Long-Term Care Homes in Outbreak
• Management of Retirement Homes in Outbreak
• Special Rules Re: Temporary Pandemic Pay
• Patios
• Enforcement of Orders
• Stages of Reopening
• Rules for Areas in Stage 1
• Rules for Areas in Stage 2
• Rules of Areas in Stage 3

However, the following exceptions include two orders:

• The Education Sector order will end on August 31, 2020.
• The Limitation Periods order will end and suspended time periods will resume running on September 14, 2020.