A May 14, 2020 Ontario 9 Contents A Framework for Reopening our Province: Phase 2: Restart — Stage 1................................................................3 What Stage 1 of the Restart Means for You............................................................................................................................4 Keeping Workplaces Safe.....................................................................................................................................................................4 What Stage 1 Means for Industry Services and Retail....................................................................................................5 What Stage 1 Means for Outdoor, Recreational and Seasonal Activities........................................................6 What Stage 1 Means for Care, Community and Household Services................................................................7 Beyond Stage 1...............................................................................................................................................................................................8 Staying Healthy and Safe: What You Need to Know ......................................................................................................9 Working with our Partners..................................................................................................................................................................10 A Path to Recovery...................................................................................................................................................................................10 Additional Resources..............................................................................................................................................................................10 2 A Framework for Reopening our Province: Phase 2: Restart — Stage 1 In A Framework for Reopening our Province, the government laid out Ontario’s approach to reopening our province in order to get people back to work. The framework provided the principles the government will use to reopen businesses, services and public spaces in three stages, while maintaining the health and safety of the people of Ontario as our top priority. As with every step taken in the fight against COVID-19, Ontario will proceed with caution and in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts. Stage 1 of the framework provides businesses owners, workers and families with the information they need to reopen safely in this new environment and make the restart of Ontario’s economy a success. Action Plan in response to COVID-19 A FRAMEWORK FOR REOPENING OUR PROVINCE Phase 1: PROTECT Phase 2: REST ART Phase 3: RECOVER AND SUPPORT A gradual staged approach Long-term growth $17-billion in targeted support Support and relief Stage 3 Stage 1 Long-term recovery a 3 What Stage 1 of the Restart Means for You The first stage of reopening will focus on workplaces that are well-positioned to follow public health advice to maintain physical distancing, implement workplace safety guidance and limit gatherings. Stage 1 will also lessen the pressure on public transit and other services, giving them more time to safely prepare for future stages. As part of Ontario’s cautious and responsible approach, protections for vulnerable people will continue to be maintained throughout each stage of restarting. As noted in A Framework for Reopening our Province, key public health indicators will guide when Ontario progresses to each stage of the restart in order to help lower the risk of outbreaks and prevent a surge in the health system. Public health experts will carefully monitor each stage so that the province can benefit from best practices and lessons learned, and adjust measures as needed as we move towards Stage 2 and 3. The government will continue to plan for what comes next and provide more details on each stage of reopening when the time is right. Keeping Workplaces Safe Keeping workplaces, staff and the general public safe as Ontario gradually reopens is the government’s primary focus. Key workplace safety considerations include: • The risk of the spread of COVID-19 in each workplace or sector. • The ability to conduct business and/or services remotely. • • The ability to adjust business and/or service practices to ensure physical distancing, enhanced hygiene and cleaning, monitoring of sick workers, and use of personal protective equipment, if necessary. The ability to clean workplaces, which may require restrictions on space available to employees and customers (e.g., curbside pick-up, closing sections). With key public health measures in place and workplace safety guidance available, Ontario can gradually begin to reopen workplaces, but working from home should continue as much as possible. The Chief Medical Officer of Health has provided guidance on how the openings of businesses and workplaces could be implemented safely. The government has also developed fact sheets for staying safe, including when and how to wear a face mask, how to take care of yourself and each other, and how to care for your pets. 4 What Stage 1 Means for Industry Services and Retail Ontario will begin easing restrictions on industry services and retail by: Lifting essential workplace limits on construction and resuming all construction. • Opening retail located outside of shopping malls with a separate street-front entrance, with restrictions to enable physical distancing which can include: • o limiting the number of customers in a store at any one time or by square metre o booking appointments beforehand or on the spot o continuing to encourage curbside pickup or deliveries Opening motor vehicle dealerships, including: • o new and used cars and trucks o motorcycles, boats and other motor and recreational vehicles, such as ATVs Allowing media operations, specifically: • o music recording, including production, distribution, publishing and studios o interactive digital media, including programming and development o film and television post-production and animation studios o publishing, including newspapers, video games and books Opening non-essential professional services related to conducting research and experimental development in physical, engineering and life sciences, such as biotechnology, agriculture and industrial research and development labs • Allowing emissions inspection facilities to conduct heavy vehicle emissions testing. • KEEPING EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS SAFE The government and health and safety associations have released close to 90 health and safety guidance documents to provide advice to those working in multiple sectors, including: • construction • retail • film and TV Workplaces should review and adopt the safety guidelines to ensure measures are in place to protect workers, customers and the general public. Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development will be visiting workplaces to ensure employers put proper safety measures in place for workers. 5 What Stage 1 Means for Outdoor, Recreational and Seasonal Activities Ontario will begin to restart outdoor, recreational and seasonal activities by: Further opening seasonal businesses, activities and services, such as: • o golf driving ranges o recreational services at marinas o rod and gun clubs o cycling tracks Allowing sport activity for individual/single competitors, including training and competitions conducted by a recognized Provincial Sport Organization, National Sport Organization, or recognized national provincial training centres. This includes indoor and outdoor non-team sport competitions that can be played while maintaining physical distancing and without spectators, such as: • o water sports on lakes and outdoor bodies of water (no swimming pool sports), such as rowing and sailing o low-contact racquet sports like tennis, badminton, pickleball and ping pong o athletics, such as track and field, gymnastics and figure skating o animal-related sports, such as horse racing KEEPING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SAFE The government and health and safety associations have released close to 90 health and safety guidance documents to provide advice to those working in multiple sectors, including: • marinas • golf courses • facilities maintenance Workplaces should review and adopt the safety guidelines to ensure measures are in place to protect workers, customers and the general public. Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development will be visiting workplaces to ensure employers put proper safety measures in place for workers. 6 What Stage 1 Means for Care, Community and Household Services Ontario will gradually begin reopening health care, community and household services by: • Gradually restarting health care services, which will need to ensure they maintain capacity to respond to COVID-19, including: o o o o • • • hospitals, independent health facilities, clinics and private practices providing scheduled surgeries and procedures, based on their ability to meet specified conditions, as outlined in A Measured Approach to Planning for Surgeries and Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic supporting services for surgeries and procedures, such as diagnostics and post-acute rehab, based on their ability to meet specified conditions, as outlined in A Measured Approach to Planning for Surgeries and Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in-person counselling, including psychology and addictions counselling resuming in-person services, in addition to virtual services, delivered by health professionals such as Children’s Treatment Centres Allowing services for animals and pets to resume, specifically: KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE The government and health and safety associations have released close to 90 health and safety guidance documents to provide advice to those working in multiple sectors, including: • equipment operators and general labourers • community labs • home care and community services Workplaces should review and adopt the safety guidelines to ensure measures are in place to protect workers, customers and the general public. Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development will be visiting workplaces to ensure employers put proper safety measures in place for workers. o pet care, including pet grooming, pet sitting and pet training o regular veterinary appointments Opening libraries for pickup or deliveries. Allowing indoor and outdoor household services that can follow public health guidelines to resume, including: o domestic services, such as housekeepers and cooks o lifting essential workplace limits on maintenance, repair and property management services, such as cleaning, painting, and pool maintenance 7 Beyond Stage 1 Based on the best practices and lessons learned from Stage 1, the next stages of reopening Ontario will focus on opening more businesses, public spaces and services and enabling more people to return to work. Public health measures and workplace safety guidelines will remain in place and available. Working remotely and protections for vulnerable people are expected to continue throughout each stage. Stage 2 If Stage 1 of reopening the province is successful, Ontario will consider: Opening more workplaces, which may include some service industries, and additional office workplaces. Opening more community and outdoor spaces and allowing some larger public gatherings. 0 Continuing to get back to full services with restrictions, such as more care services, courthouse and tribunal services, and more community spaces and visits. Maintaining protections for vulnerable populations and the continued practice of physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene, and significant mitigation plans to limit health risks. Stage 3 If Stage 2 of reopening the province is successful, Ontario will consider: Opening all workplaces responsibly. Further relaxing the restrictions on recreational spaces and public gatherings. Large public gatherings such as concerts, night clubs and sporting events will continue to be restricted for the foreseeable future. Allowing full services to resume, such as fully opening libraries to the public and jury proceedings. Maintaining protections for vulnerable populations and the continued practice of physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene, and significant mitigation plans to limit health risks. 8 Staying Healthy and Safe: What You Need to Know To ensure these first actions to reopen the province are a success, it will be critical to continue to follow public health guidelines to limit contact with others and maintain physical distancing in Stage 1 and beyond. The Chief Medical Officer of Health will closely monitor the evolving situation to determine when certain public health restrictions can be gradually loosened. We are all in this together. We all share a responsibility to stay informed, be prepared, be flexible and follow these measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and for each stage of reopening the province. You can make the first stage of restarting Ontario a success by: ({/) ~ ~ (I) ©) 14 - Staying at home and away from others if you are feeling ill Physical distancing of two metres from people in public Practising good hygiene (avoiding touching your face and covering your cough or sneeze) Limiting outings and public gatherings as per emergency orders Minimizing travel and self-isolating for 14 days after all international travel @) ® CID ~ @ 9 Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available Wearing a face covering in public where physical distancing is a challenge or not possible Increasing cleaning of frequently touched surfaces Working remotely or redesigning spaces and interactions to make them safer Protecting the most vulnerable Working with our Partners Continued collaboration with our partners is essential for the effective reopening of our communities and the launch of the economic recovery process. The Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee will continue to meet with a diverse range of people across all regions and sectors of the province. Ontario will work closely with its municipal partners to understand the unique impacts of COVID-19 on each community, as well as what they need to succeed as the province continues to make progress on the recovery. The province is soliciting additional actions and measures that can be taken to further protect and support vulnerable people and staff in high-risk settings as we work to reopen the province in stages. The government will also work collaboratively with faith communities and the wedding industry to develop guidance that may enable safe gatherings for these events, including wedding ceremonies and religious occasions. Visit ontario.ca/reopen to provide your ideas about the restart and recovery phase. A Path to Recovery The path to recovery depends on our continued efforts in stopping the spread of this virus and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances on the ground. It is more important than ever to follow public health advice. Working from home and staying home when ill continue to be crucial to stopping this pandemic. Until COVID-19 is behind us, each of us must take simple yet critical steps to reduce exposure and protect each other, such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing and covering a cough or sneeze. If everyone across the province keeps doing their part, we will persevere in the fight against this virus and emerge ready for a strong recovery. Additional Resources • • • • • • • • Find workplace safety guidance documents to prepare for reopening. Learn more about A Framework for Reopening our Province. Learn more about the first phase of Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19. Learn more about A Measured Approach to Planning for Surgeries and Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Learn more about the COVID-19 Action Plan for Vulnerable People. Learn more about the COVID-19 Action Plan for Protecting Long-Term Care Homes. Provide your input on the economic impacts of COVID-19 and the next phase of Ontario’s Action Plan. Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the government continues to protect people from COVID-19. 10