In this FTR Now: Province allows businesses to reopen; Ontario announces workplace health and safety guidance; Ontario expands the list of essential workers eligible to receive free emergency child care; Further amendments to the Employment Insurance Act and New Canada Emergency Student Benefit; and more!
Publication Name: FTR Now
Emergency Order Limiting Staff Mobility Within Congregate Care Setting Agencies
On April 24, 2020, the Ontario government made an order (O. Reg. 177/20, Congregate Care Settings) (Order) under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), similar to those it has made in health and long-term care, that addresses the issue of frontline staff working for more than one employer during the circumstances of the current pandemic. The measures are designed to further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 between residences operated by specified social service agencies.
Emergency Order Issued Which Relates to Mental Health and Addiction Agencies
On April 22, 2020, the Ontario government issued an Order (O. Reg. 163/20) under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) that applies to not-for-profit entities that receive funding from the Ministry of Health or from a Local Health Integration Network and which provide community mental health and addiction services. The Order applies for the duration of the declared emergency under the EMCPA
Online Portal for CEWS Applications Available on April 27, 2020
On April 21, 2020, the federal government announced that effective April 27, 2020, employers will be able to apply online for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) through signing into their “My Business Account.”
Further Measures Announced in Relation to COVID-19
Late last week, the Ontario government amended a number of measures already introduced in light of COVID-19. It updated the “COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool” to include an expanded list of symptoms for which self-isolation is required. It made further orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act regarding health care, an expanded list of essential workers eligible for child care and seasonal campgrounds. The federal government provided more information on initiatives already underway, including with respect to the eligibility requirements for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
Emergency Orders Made Regarding Municipal Work Deployment and Staffing in Light of COVID-19
On April 16, 2020, the provincial government made an Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), O. Reg. 157/20 Work Deployment Measure for Municipalities, which authorizes municipalities to take any reasonably necessary measures with respect to work redeployment and staffing in order to prevent, reduce or mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on a specific list of critical municipal services (Critical Services).
Emergency Order Issued Which Relates to Service Agencies Providing Violence Against Women Residential Services and Crisis Line Services
On April 15, 2020, the Ontario government issued an Order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) that applies to service agencies funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, and which provide (1) residential or emergency residential services under the Violence Against Women Support Services program or the Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports program, or (2) provincial crisis line services under the Violence Against Women Support Services program. The Order applies for the duration of the declared emergency under the EMCPA.
Federal Wage Subsidy Legislation Passed
On April 11, 2020, Bill C-14, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2, (Bill C-14), received Royal Assent after another emergency session of Parliament. Bill C-14 enacts the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). It includes new details about which employers are eligible, and the calculation of gross revenue and the subsidy. On the same date, the federal government also updated its backgrounder describing the CEWS, reflecting the final form of the legislation.
Additional Details of Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Enhanced Summer Jobs Program Released
After making its initial announcement about the significantly expanded Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program, the federal government announced on April 8, 2020, that it is introducing additional flexibility to the CEWS, and provided additional details about how the program will operate.
Emergency Order Allows First Responders Access to COVID-19 Information
The Ontario government has made an order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) which allows specified first responders to have access to “COVID-19 status information” about persons with whom they are coming into contact in the course of their duties. The government announced that the information will be used solely for the purpose of permitting first responders “to take appropriate safety precautions to protect themselves and the communities they serve.”