The Ontario government has issued an extraordinary stay-at-home order to all citizens which requires everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or for essential work. The expectations created by the 24-four hour order stretch the mind. It looks like a curfew by a different name. The order will doubtlessly have a different meaning for different people and how the police are expected to respond is not clear. News release
Summary of new restrictions
New restrictions
- All non-essential retail stores, including hardware stores, alcohol retailers, and those offering curbside pickup or delivery, will not be allowed to open earlier than 7 a.m. or close after 8 p.m. Stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores and restauraunts open for takeout or delivery will be exempted.
- Outdoor public gatherings and social gatherings of more than five people will be prohibited. Previously, up to 10 people were allowed to gather outdoors.
Schools
- Schools in Toronto, Peel Region, York Region, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex will not return to in person instruction until at least Feb. 10
- The Chief Medical Officer of Health will advise the Ministry of Education by Jan. 20 on which public health units elsewhere in southern Ontario will be allowed to resume in-person learning the following week
- Students in Grades 1-3 will now be required to wear masks. Masks will also be required outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained. The province is also expanding screening protocols and targeted testing at schools
Child care
- Child care centres for non-school aged children will remain open
- Child care remains suspended for school-aged children in areas where in-person learning is on hold, with the exception of emergency centres for the children of essential workers
Workplaces
- Each person responsible for a business or organization that is open shall ensure that any person who performs work for the business or organization conducts their work remotely except where the nature of their work requires them to be on-site at the workplace
- The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development will conduct a workplace inspection blitz with a particular focus on “areas of high transmission, including break rooms
- The province will provide up to 300,000 rapid COVID-19 tests per week to key sectors such as manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain and food processing, as well as additional tests for schools and long-term care homes
Other
- The province is now recommending that residents wear masks outdoors when they can’t maintain two metres of physical distance
- The government is issuing a stay-at-home order requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or for essential work
