Human Resources Legislative Update
Further Easing of Ontario Public Health Restrictions Coming March 21, 2022
Date: March 16, 2022
On March 11, 2022, the Ontario government filed O. Reg. 213/22 which amends O. Reg. 364/20: Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at the Roadmap Exit Step made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. O. Reg. 213/22 gives effect to the further reduction of public health restrictions in force as of March 21, 2022 (as discussed in our FTR Nows of March 9, 2022 and March 11, 2022).
Changes to the Roadmap Exit Step
All public health units in Ontario are currently in the Roadmap Exit Step. Effective March 21, 2022, O. Reg. 213/22 amends the Roadmap Exit Step as follows:
- Removes the requirement for businesses and organizations to comply with any advice, recommendations or instructions of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening individuals.
- Removes the mandatory masking requirement, except in specific locations which include among others:
- public transit
- hospitals and health care clinics
- long-term care and retirement homes
- specified residential care facilities and congregate care settings
- laboratories and specimen collection centres, and
- homeless shelters.
- Removes the requirement to have a safety plan in place.
- Removes specific rules at the Roadmap Exit Step regarding cannabis retail stores, camps for children, and schools and private schools (Schedule 5).
Changes to the Rules for Areas at Step 3
Effective March 21, 2022, O. Reg. 213/22 also amends the Rules for Areas at Step 3 in the following ways:
- Removes the general compliance rules, which include specific rules on masking, physical distancing and screening.
- Removes the proof of vaccination requirements.
- Removes the rules relating to capacity limits.
- Removes the specific rules at Step 3 (Schedule 2) and the rules regarding organized public events and certain gatherings at Step 3 (Schedule 3).
No public health units are currently in the Rules for Areas at Step 3 stage.
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. ©
