Coronavirus: Ontario government extends COVID-19 pandemic orders until Nov. 21

The Ontario government says under the “Reopening Ontario Act (ROA)” it is extending current orders until Nov. 21 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government said the extensions give it the ability to have the necessary tools to contain the spread of the virus and to ensure measures remain in place to protect the population.

“With the cold and flu season upon us and the continuing high number of COVID-19 cases in certain parts of the province, it’s critical we continue to take the necessary steps to protect the health and safety of Ontarians,” Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We have renewed the majority of orders to ensure we have the tools in place to address any urgent public health situations and support the continued delivery of critical services.”

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The province said it is also amending emergency orders for regions under a modified Stage 2 of the reopening plan, which applies to Toronto, Ottawa, York Region and Peel Region, to include clarification on classes for the purpose of “teaching or training amateur or professional dancers in dance techniques are permitted to operate provided specified conditions are met.”

“This change to the regulation recognizes that dance styles such as ballet, hip hop, and ballroom, can still be taught and practised safely when certain public health measures are followed, similar to other permitted activities, such as cheerleading and gymnastics,” the government said in the statement.

“Dance classes that do not meet the specified criteria (e. g. a Zumba class) would not be permitted.”

The province said all orders in effect under the ROA have been extended by 30 days with the following exceptions:

• Electricity Price for Regulated Price Plan (RPP) consumers has only been extended until Oct. 31, 2020. Beginning on Nov. 1, 2020, time-of-use customers will have the option of choosing between time-of-use electricity rates or tiered pricing.
• Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record will expire on Oct. 22, 2020 as changes to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, that recently came into force, make the order unnecessary.

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 full list of orders under the ROA that have been extended can be found online on the government’s website.