Executive summary

On July 21, 2020, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 195, an Act to enact the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19covid 19) Act, 2020 (ROA). Once proclaimed into force on July 24, 2020, this Act continued certain orders that had been made under section 7.0.2 or section 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) during the provincial emergency declared on March 17, 2020 in response to COVID-19covid 19.

Orders made during the emergency declared on March 17, 2020 were made in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Health Command Table, and other health experts. The declared emergency pursuant to section 7.0.1 of the EMCPA was terminated on July 24, 2020 when the ROA was proclaimed into force.

The ROA provides that orders continued under the ROA cease to apply after 30 days but can be extended by the Lieutenant Governor in Council for additional periods of up to 30 days. The Lieutenant Governor in Council can amend certain orders under the Act subject to limitations. However, the ROA does not provide the power to create new orders, nor reinstate an order once it has been revoked or allowed to expire.

Since the ROA was proclaimed into force, there have been two additional provincial emergencies declared under the EMCPA in response to COVID-19covid 19; on January 12, 2021 and April 7, 2021. After the termination of a provincial emergency a report on orders made during that time must be tabled in the legislature as required by the EMCPA.

The ROA has a similar reporting requirement for the Premier to table a report to the Legislative Assembly, within 120 days after the first anniversary of the day the orders were continued under the Act. The report must also provide a rationale for all extensions and amendments, including how any applicable conditions and limitations on the making of the amendments were satisfied.

This report outlines the 36 orders continued under the ROA, including extensions and/or amendments to those orders as well as orders that expired over the reporting period, July 24, 2020 to July 24, 2021.

Structure of the report

This report is organized into three sections:

1. Orders intended to limit the spread of COVID-19covid 19

To limit the spread of COVID-19covid 19 and respond to the evolving nature of the virus, the government continued certain orders under the ROA that had been made under the EMCPA such as:

  • closing or regulating any public or private place, including businesses, offices, schools, hospitals or other establishments or institutions
  • requiring compliance with any advice, recommendation or instruction of a public health official
  • providing for rules or practices that relate to workplaces or the management of workplaces, or authorizing the person responsible for a workplace to identify staffing priorities or to develop, modify and implement redeployment plans or rules or practices that relate to the workplace or the management of the workplace
  • prohibiting or regulating gatherings or organized public events

These orders provide the government with the flexibility to address the ongoing risks and effects of the COVID-19covid 19 pandemic in the province and protect vulnerable populations.

  1. O. Reg. 363/20 (Steps of Reopening)
  2. O. Reg. 82/20 (Rules for Areas in Shutdown Zone and at Step 1)
  3. O. Reg. 263/20 (Rules for Areas in Step 2)
  4. O. Reg. 364/20 (Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at the Roadmap Exit Step)
  5. O. Reg. 114/20 (Enforcement of Orders)
  6. O. Reg. 210/20 (Management of Long-term Care Homes in Outbreak)
  7. O. Reg. 240/20 (Management of Retirement Homes in Outbreak)
  8. O. Reg. 141/20 (Temporary Health or Residential Facilities)
  9. O. Reg. 116/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Boards of Health)
  10. O. Reg. 163/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Mental Health and Addictions Agencies)
  11. O. Reg. 156/20 (Deployment of Employees of Service Provider Organizations)
  12. O. Reg. 74/20 (Work Redeployment for Certain Health Services Providers)
  13. O. Reg. 193/20 (Hospital Credentialing Processes)
  14. O. Reg. 118/20 (Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes)
  15. O. Reg. 77/20 (Work Deployment Measures in Long-Term Care Homes)
  16. O. Reg. 121/20 (Service Agencies Providing Services and Supports to Adults with Developmental Disabilities and Service Providers Providing Intervenor Services)
  17. O. Reg. 145/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Service Agencies Providing Violence Against Women Residential Services and Crisis Line Services)
  18. O. Reg. 157/20 (Work Deployment Measures for Municipalities)
  19. O. Reg. 154/20 (Work Deployment Measures for District Social Services Administration Boards)
  20. O. Reg. 177/20 (Congregate Care Settings)
  21. O. Reg. 146/20 (Limiting Work to a Single Long-Term Care Home)
  22. O. Reg. 158/20 (Limiting Work to a Single Retirement Home)
  23. O. Reg. 205/20 (Education Sector)

2. Orders intended to support the continuity of critical services

To ensure critical services were maintained while managing the effects of COVID-19covid 19, these orders address gaps and human resource pressures to critical services, including those that require training, licensing, access to information and justice related services and requirements.

  1. O. Reg. 76/20 (Electronic Service)
  2. O. Reg. 129/20 (Signatures in Wills and Powers of Attorney)
  3. O. Reg. 192/20 (Certain Persons Enabled to Issue Medical Certificates of Death)
  4. O. Reg. 190/20 (Access to Personal Health Information by Means of the Electronic Health Record)
  5. O. Reg. 195/20 (Treatment of Temporary COVID-19covid 19 Related Payments to Employees)
  6. O. Reg. 132/20 (Use of Force and Firearms in Policing Services)
  7. O. Reg. 95/20 (Streamlining Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes)
  8. O. Reg. 73/20 (Limitation Periods)
  9. O. Reg. 75/20 (Drinking Water Systems and Sewage Works)
  10. O. Reg. 241/20 (Special Rules Re Temporary Pandemic Pay)

3. Orders intended to support businesses and provide cost relief to Ontarians

These orders provide Ontarians’ cost-relief and allow municipalities to modify their bylaws to support businesses.

  1. O. Reg. 98/20 (Prohibition on Certain Persons Charging Unconscionable Prices for Sales of Necessary Goods)
  2. O. Reg. 345/20 (Patios)
  3. O. Reg. 80/20 (Electricity Price for RPP Consumers)