COVID-19 and the Workplace

The Ontario Government has declared a state of emergency for Ontario due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ontario is the first province to do so. 

This is not a province-wide shutdown, and many businesses will continue to operate, including grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, manufacturing facilities, public transit, important public services, construction sites and office buildings.

However, the following are required to close:

 the following establishments are legally required to close immediately:

• All facilities providing indoor recreational programs
• All public libraries
• All private schools as defined in the Education Act
• All licensed child care centres
• All bars and restaurants, except to the extent that such facilities provide takeout food and delivery
• All theatres including those offering live performances of music, dance, and other art forms, as well as cinemas that show movies
• Concert venues

For more information, click here.

The Government of Alberta has taken this aggressive step. Gatherings of groups of 50 or more are banned and citizens are also banned from public places like casinos, bingo halls, theatres, children’s play centres, recreation centres and arenas, science centres, museums and art galleries, community centres, fitness facilities, and entertainment facilities like movie theatres.

Note that the ban does not apply to health care facilities, grocery stores, airports, the Alberta legislature, and other essential services.

Sit-down restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, food courts and other food-serving facilities, including those with a minors-allowed liquor license, are limited to 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 50 people.

For more information, click here.

Richa Sandill, Brittany Taylor and Nadia Zaman joined Stuart for a discussion on the workplace challenges facing employers and employees during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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