The Province of Ontario issued a Stay-at-Home Order and introduced enhanced enforcement measures to reduce mobility earlier today. The Stay-at-Home Order is effective Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 12:01 a.m.
Ontario declared a second provincial emergency in response to COVID-19 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. These emergency orders will last for 28 days unless actively extended.
The restrictions include:
- Stay at home order effective Thursday at 12:01 a.m. where everyone must stay home and only go out for essential trips.
- Schools in Windsor-Essex, Peel, Toronto, York, and Hamilton will be closed until at least February 10 for in-person learning.
- Five-person outdoor gathering limit, reduced from 10.
- All non-essential retail stores, including hardware stores, alcohol retailers, and those offering curbside pickup or delivery, must open no earlier than 7 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m. The restricted hours of operation do not apply to stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants for takeout or delivery.
- Non-essential construction is further restricted, including below-grade construction, exempting survey.
- Construction projects associated with health care and long-term care remain essential, as do projects related to transit, municipal infrastructure, energy, and mining.
- Outdoor organized public gatherings and social gatherings are further restricted to a limit of five people with limited exceptions. This is consistent with the rules during the lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 in spring 2020 and will allow individuals and families to enjoy time outdoors safely.
- Individuals are required to wear a mask or face covering in the indoor areas of businesses or organizations that are open. Wearing a mask or face covering is now recommended outdoors when you can’t physically distance more than two metres.
Under the declaration of a provincial emergency, the government is providing all enforcement and provincial offence officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors to issue tickets to those who do not comply with the stay-at-home order.
Ontario is exploring all options available to put in place a temporary moratorium on residential evictions and will have more to say in the coming days.
For more information, please see the official Ontario News Release.
