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Ontario Enacts Provincial Stay-At-Home Order

April 7, 2021

The Ontario government is immediately declaring a third provincial emergency under s 7.0.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA). Premier Doug Ford says the order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday morning and last for four weeks. Ford says stores providing essential goods will remain open during the four-week period, but they will only be permitted to sell grocery and pharmacy items. He says the new measures are necessary to fight the third wave of the pandemic that threatens to overwhelm the health-care system. The new restrictions follow a decision last week to impose a four-week provincewide shutdown that put an end to short-lived indoor and outdoor dining and lowered capacity for retail establishments as well as indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Ontario Moves To Phase 2 Vaccine Plan

April 7, 2021

The Ontario government is moving into Phase Two of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, with a focus on reaching individuals in “hot spot” communities where COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted certain neighbourhoods. In addition, this phase will prioritize individuals with the highest-risk health conditions in April 2021. With a steady supply of the COVID-19 vaccine expected from the federal government, over nine million Ontarians will be offered their first vaccination between April and end of June 2021.

ECA Ontario’s AGM 2021

March 31, 2021

ECA Ontario will be holding its virtual AGM, via Zoom, on Thursday, May 20, 2021 starting at 8:30am. The Zoom details were sent to all ECAO members on Monday, March 22. If you do not receive it, please contact Audrey at aiozelli@ecao.org. If you are unable to attend, please complete and return your Proxy to Daryl Sharkey at daryl@ecaottawa.org by May 14, 2021 or directly tot eh ECA Ontario office to aiozelli@ecao.org. Registration will open at at 8:30 a.m. Please attend using a laptop, desktop or tablet, as we will not be permitting telephone attendees. The meeting package will be shared at the start of the meeting with a link that will be shared in the Chat.

Ottawa Moves Back To Red Zone

March 18, 2021

Thursday, March 18, 2021 – Ottawa is entering the province’s Red Zone as of midnight tonight (Thursday). Under the Red control zone restrictions, second only to Lockdown in terms of severity, public events and social gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 25 outside. Religious ceremonies, as well as wedding and funerals, where physical distancing can be maintained, are limited to 30 per cent of the room’s capacity, or, in the case of outdoor ceremonies, 100 people. Supermarkets and other stores selling primarily groceries, convenience stores and pharmacies are limited to 75 per cent capacity, while other retail establishments are limited to 50 per cent.

Other Red zone restrictions include:
At restaurants and bars: maximum of 10 people seated indoors; no buffets; a maximum of four people seated together, with occupied tables at least two metres apart; face coverings required except while eating or drinking; and contact tracing information required. Establishment’s must be closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., can only sell or serve liquor between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., while liquor may not be consumed after 10 p.m. Dancing, singing and live music are not allowed, while the volume of recorded music must be low enough to allow normal conversation.

For sports and recreational facilities, two metres physical distancing must be maintained at all times, or three metres in areas where there are weights or exercise equipment, and in exercise and fitness classes. Indoor areas with weights and exercise machines are limited to 10 people where physical distancing can be maintained. Indoor classes are limited to 10 people, while outdoor ones may accommodate 25. Spectators are not permitted, except in the case of participants under 18, who may have one parent or guardian watch. Team sports are not allowed, except for training.

OTTAWA MOVES TO ORANGE LEVEL

February 12, 2021

Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Move to Orange Tuesday –  Fifty-two days after Ottawa and eastern Ontario moved into lockdown, restaurants, non-essential businesses and gyms will be allowed to reopen for in-person services on Tuesday. The Ontario government announced Ottawa and eastern Ontario will move into the “Orange-Restrict” zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework when the stay-at-home order ends on Feb. 16.

In the “Orange-Restrict” level, restaurants can open for in-person dining, but last call is at 9 p.m. and capacity restrictions limit the number of people sitting at a table to four people. Businesses can also open for in-person shopping, and gyms will be allowed to open with restrictions.

The limits on gatherings will also change, with a maximum of 10 people permitted indoors at private residences and 25 people outdoors. We are not out of the woods yet. Remember to wear a mask, limit close contact to the people you live with, stay two metres apart from others, stay home when you’re sick except to get tested and practice proper hand hygiene.  

Ontario Ending Stay At Home

February 10, 2021

The Government of Ontario announced February 8, 2021 that the Province is “moving to a regional approach allowing each region to transition from the shutdown to a revised ‘Framework”. The individual Stay-at-Home orders for 28 public health regions, including Ottawa, will remain in place until Tuesday, February 16, 2021 with some exceptions.

To support the province’s economic recovery, the government has updated the Framework to allow for a safe approach to retail. Limited in-person shopping in Grey-Lockdown zones will be permitted with significant public health and safety requirements, such as limiting capacity to 25 per cent. In addition, public health and safety measures in retail settings will be strengthened for other levels of the framework. Individuals will also be required to wear a face covering and maintain physical distance when indoors in a business, with limited exceptions.

ECA Ontario Conference 2022

January 28, 2021

2021 Conference Rescheduled to September 2022 –  ECA Ontario’s 2021 Annual Industry Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, has been rescheduled to September 18-24,2022. Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires.” It’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show.

Delegates will stay at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Prague – itself a piece of history, dating back to the 14th century – you are set to explore this most unique of European cities.  Minutes by foot to the Charles Bridge, built under the auspices of King Charles IV in the 14th century, venture through ancient cobblestone streets.  While you might think Bohemian when you hear Prague, today it is a mixture of Old and New. World-class art galleries mix with modern luxury retailers, casual cafes are intermingled with Michelin star restaurants.

Ontario Enters 2nd State of Emergency

January 13, 2021

Effective Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 12:01 a.m., the government is issuing a 2nd State of Emergency and a stay-at-home order requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes.  In addition to limiting outings to essential trips, all businesses must ensure that any employee who can work from home, does work from home. Click here for detailed information (pages 23 & 23 refer to construction).

 

Ontario In LockDown December 2020

December 22, 2020

December 21, 2020 – Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced today a province-wide shutdown effective Saturday, December 26 at 12:01 a.m. Most businesses and schools will remain closed The full announcement may be found on the Ontario news site at this LINK.