Ford government tightening screws on Ontario stay-at-home order
Police officers and other provincial offences officers given enhanced authority to enforce Ontario’s Stay-at-Home order
TORONTO, ON, April 16, 2021 — At Queen’s Park today, the Ford government has just announced that it is extending the emergency declaration another two weeks and tightening Ontario’s stay-at-home lockdown restrictions. The province is also giving law enforcement agencies the authority to question and hand out tickets to citizens who are not following restrictions.
Under the stricter stay-at-home orders, outdoor gatherings with people outside a person’s immediate household will be prohibited, effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Effective at 12:01 am Monday, recreational activities including golf, basketball, soccer, outdoor playgrounds, tennis and camping will be prohibited. The province is also lowering the capacity limit at essential businesses to 25 per cent and limiting indoor religious gatherings to 10 people.
Also beginning Monday, Ontario is also imposing a restriction on inter-provincial travel with checkpoints being set up at provincial borders. The province is also restricting construction to essential infrastructure projects only.
“As the latest modelling confirms, without taking immediate and decisive action COVID-19 cases will spiral out of control and our hospitals will be overwhelmed,” said Premier Ford. “That’s why we are making difficult, but necessary decisions to reduce mobility and keep people in the safety of their own homes. We need to contain the spread of this deadly virus, while getting vaccines in as many arms as quickly as possible.”
To increase public compliance with the Stay-at-Home order and stop the spread of COVID-19, amendments to an emergency order (O.Reg 8/21 Enforcement of COVID-19 Measures) have been made that will provide police officers and other provincial offences officers enhanced authority to support the enforcement of Ontario’s Stay-at-Home order.
Effective Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., police officers and other provincial offences officers will have the authority to require any individual to provide their home address and purpose for not being at their residence. In addition, police officers, special constables and First Nation Constables will have the authority to stop vehicles to inquire about an individual’s reasons for leaving their home. This additional enforcement tool will only be in effect during the Stay-at-Home order and exclusively to enforce the Stay-at-Home order.
“The federal government needs to step up. We need to tighten up the borders,” said Premier Ford, who also is pleading to the federal government for more vaccines.
Although the province did not instill a curfew, Ontario Solicitor General, Sylvia Jones made an unprecedented statement by declaring that under the new stay-at-home lockdown restrictions, law enforcement has permission to question citizens why they are on the road or why they are outside of their own communities. That includes stopping vehicles and possibly issuing tickets of approximately $750.
“I cannot stress this enough, it is imperative that everyone limit their trips outside of the home to permitted purposes only, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, medical appointments, outdoor exercise, or for work that cannot be done remotely,” said Jones.
“We know that stay at home orders work,” added Jones.
Bylaw officers will also be visiting law offices, accounting firms and other workplaces to make sure only essential workers are in the building.
“Now, more than ever before, businesses need to take all measures possible to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Minister McNaughton. “We’re in workplaces every day to enforce safety requirements and we won’t hesitate to stop unsafe work and ticket offenders. Today, we launched an enhanced, targeted provincewide inspection campaign of construction sites, dispatching 200 workplace inspectors, supported by provincial offenses officers, to visit 1,300 constructions sites to enforce COVID-19 safety requirements. In addition, provincial offences officers will also be visiting over 500 workplaces this weekend in the COVID-19 hotspots of Ottawa, Toronto and York Region. Their visits will include big-box stores, food processors, manufacturers and warehouses.”
The government also intends to implement the following public health and workplace safety measures effective Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.:
- Prohibit all outdoor social gatherings and organized public events, except for with members of the same household or one other person from outside that household who lives alone or a caregiver for any member of the household;
- Close all non-essential workplaces in the construction sector;
- Reduce capacity limits to 25 per cent in all retail settings where in-store shopping is permitted. This includes supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, indoor farmers’ markets, other stores that primarily sell food and pharmacies; and,
- Close all outdoor recreational amenities, such as golf courses, basketball courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds with limited exceptions.
In addition, effective Monday, April 19, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., the government is limiting the capacity of weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites or ceremonies to 10 people indoors or outdoors. Social gatherings associated with these services such as receptions are prohibited, except for with members of the same household or one other person from outside that household who lives alone. Drive-in services will be permitted.
All other public health and workplace safety measures for non-essential retail under the provincewide emergency brake (i.e., curbside pick-up and delivery only), will continue to apply.
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