TORONTO – Ontario’s current COVID-19 restrictions will remain in place until at least June 19, after the provincial government extended all pandemic-related emergency orders. The orders were set to expire June 9.
"It is critical that we keep these emergency orders in place so we can continue to reopen the province gradually and safely," Premier Doug Ford said in a release. "We are not out of the woods yet, and this deadly virus still poses a serious risk.”
Restrictions extended by the orders include bans on social gatherings of more than five people and closures of daycares, swimming pools, and dine-in services at restaurants and bars.
The premier has said plans for the province’s second stage of reopening will be released in the coming week, but cautioned that does not mean the next phase will be immediately implemented.
Previous guidelines released by the province stated it would move to stage 2 of reopening only after seeing a consistent decline in new COVID-19 cases for a period of at least two weeks. After a steady drop through early May, that number has since begun creeping upward.
In a Saturday press release announcing the ten-day extension of emergency orders, Ford hinted that further reopening could nonetheless be on the horizon.
“We encourage businesses to begin preparing to reopen, so when the time comes, they will be able to protect employees, consumers and the general public,” he said.
The province also extended the suspension of limitation periods and time periods in legal proceedings until Sept. 11. The province said it is working with courts to ensure operations can resume as soon as safely possible.
Full details on the emergency order extension can be viewed on the government’s website.
