Ontario is moving quickly to support the frontlines and businesses during the COVID-19. To help remove obstacles and streamline Ontario’s ability to respond to the outbreak and navigate through it, several temporary rules and regulations have been put in place.

To support your ongoing work during COVID-19, you can request a temporary regulation or policy to change to help:

  • assist the health care system meet the needs of needs of the emergency
  • assist businesses in retooling or producing essential or health-related products and supplies
  • make it easier for businesses trying to operate remotely or in a non-traditional fashion and are facing unexpected challenges

What we have done so far

Learn how Ontario is responding to COVID-19 in the following categories:

Business and economy

Business operations, economic development, trade and more.

Home and community

Address change, birth and more.

Law and safety

Legal system, consumer rights, courts, police, emergency and victim services.

Driving and roads

Road conditions, licences, registrations and more.

Health and wellness

Health card, wellness and disease prevention.

Pharmacists

  • Permitted pharmacists to renew and adapt prescriptions for controlled drugs and substances (CDS)
  • Permitted pharmacists to transfer CDS prescriptions to other pharmacists
  • Permitted prescribers (such as physicians and nurse practitioners) to issue verbal orders to renew or refill a prescription over the phone
  • Permitted employees of the pharmacy to deliver CDS prescriptions to patients under self-isolation

Rural and north

Local food, agriculture, communities and development.

Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

  • Deferred any repayments of principal and interest on a loan coming due during between April 1 and June 30, 2020
  • Waived all interest that accrues on NOHFC loans between March 20 and June 30, 2020
  • Extended the maturity date of NOHFC loans to July 1, 2020
  • Extended the deadline for current NOHFC programs until June 30, 2020

Taxes and benefits

Financial supports, personal income tax, HST and business taxes.