The Ontario government, on May 27, extended its Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until June 9, 2020. The declaration will allow Ontario to continue to enforce current emergency orders which have been in place since March 17.
Further, Queen’s Park and Members of Provincial Parliament will reconvene on Tuesday, June 2, to consider renewing the state of emergency for another 28 days.
A full list of emergency orders can be found on the e-Laws website, under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
As well, the province has extended the emergency electricity rate for small businesses until May 31, 2020. The time-of-use electricity rates will continue to be billed at the lowest price – off peak – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ontario members are reminded that questions about essential and non-essential businesses and status should be directed to the Stop the Spread hotline at: 1-888-444-3659. The hotline is answered from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you or your staff have concerns or questions about health and safety protocols at work sites, please call: 1-877-202-0008.
A reminder again, that May 14th, the provincial government launched Stage 1 of Framework for Reopening the Economy.
For HRAI’s members, the important changes were:
- Maintenance: General maintenance, and repair services can resume, and are no longer limited to “strictly necessary” maintenance.
- Indoor and outdoor household services • Private households can now employ workers on or about the premises in activities primarily concerned with the operation of the household
Full details about Essential Services and the Provincial Reopening can be found here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces#section-6
Dorothy McCabe, Government Relations Specialist, dmccabe@hrai.ca, 905-602-4700 ext 274.