Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Places All Regions Into Shutdown
Date: April 5, 2021
Effective April 3, 2021, all regions in Ontario were placed into the Shutdown Zone of the Rules for Areas in Stage 1. The government announced that it anticipates the shutdown to be in place for at least four weeks.
The Shutdown Zone rules were amended on March 26, 2021 (see our recent Human Resources and Legislative Update) and again on April 1, 2021. Highlights of these amendments are below:
- day camps are now closed
- retail stores, including those in shopping malls, may open, subject to applicable capacity limits, the closure of dining spaces and the undertaking of active screening, among all other applicable conditions
- construction activities or projects and related services that support construction activities or projects, including demolition services, are permitted
- businesses that sell certain types of vehicles may open, subject to a range of conditions
- the requirement that only 10 persons may attend an indoor gathering for the purposes of a wedding, a funeral or a religious service, rite or ceremony has been removed, such that the persons who may now attend must not exceed 15 percent of the capacity of the room; however, indoor receptions related to weddings and other services are prohibited and outdoor receptions are limited to five persons
- every person in attendance at an organized public event or gathering which is permitted shall maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person, except from their caregiver or from members of the person’s household.
Note that among other requirements, the Shutdown Zone rules require businesses or organizations that are open to ensure that persons who perform work for the business or organization conduct their work remotely, unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site at the workplace.
For general information about the Shutdown Zone (subject to the recent amendments), see our FTR Now of February 10, 2021.
We recommend that readers consult the full text of the Shutdown Zone rules to determine how they impact your operation. Please contact your regular Hicks Morley lawyer should you require further information.
The article in this client update provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. This publication is copyrighted by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP and may not be photocopied or reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP. ©
