Ontario extends orders to address COVID-19 for another month

The Ontario government is extending orders intended to combat the ongoing pandemic as the province battles the second wave.

The province, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is extending most orders currently enforced under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA), until November 21.

“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,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones in a news release. “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.”

All orders currently in effect under the ROA have been extended until November 21, with the following exceptions:

• Electricity Price for Regulated Price Plan (RPP) Consumers has only been extended until October 31
• Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record will expire on October 22

Ontario also announced that they will amend other emergency orders, including the reopening of dance classes in the province.

The rules covering areas in stage two and stage three have also been amended to remove restrictions on in-person teaching and instruction for fire departments in the province. The amendments are similar to what is in place for police training, says the release, and have been deemed critical for public safety.

The ROA came into effect on July 24 after the provincial declared emergency ended. The ROA ensures important measures to combat coronavirus remain in place, and can extend orders for up to 30 days at a time.

The list of orders that have been extended are available online.