Daisy Wai MPP : COVID19: All The Actions Taken So Far

 

Daisy Wai MPP : COVID19: All The Actions Taken So Far

April 4

•Investing up to $40 million through the COVID-19 Residential Relief Fund to support organizations that provide residential services for children and youth, people with developmental disabilities and emergency shelters for women and families fleeing domestic violence.

•Launched a new web portal – Ontario.ca/AgFoodJobs – to connect workers with employers looking to fill positions in the agri-food sector. This new online tool will make it easier to match people to essential jobs and training resources throughout the provincial food supply chain.

 

April 3

•Released extensive COVID-19 modelling, revealing several scenarios that project the potential number of cases and deaths and providing the public with full transparency about the consequences should everyone but non-essential workers fail to stay home and practise physical distancing.

•Reducing the list of businesses classified as essential and ordering more workplaces to close.

•Issued a new emergency order to provide public health units the authority and flexibility they need to make staffing decisions that support their ongoing fight against the outbreak of COVID-19, despite any collective agreements.

•Launched a new user-friendly online portal for the public to easily access their COVID-19 lab test results.

 

April 2

•Improving access to mental health supports during COVID-19, including dedicated supports for frontline health care workers and first responders, by providing emergency funding of up to $12 million to immediately expand online and virtual mental health supports.

•Providing $2.6 million to hire new psychologists and other mental health workers to support Ontario Provincial Police personnel.

•Providing an emergency payment of more than $2.7 million to support services for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes during the COVID-19 crisis.

•Investing $1.3 million in technology to help courts and tribunals continue the transition to remote operations.

•Provided more safe places for truck drivers to stop and rest across the province and keeping all 23 ONroute travel plazas open for take-out, grab and go and drive-through services, including washrooms with enhanced cleaning. Also providing portable washrooms at 32 truck inspection stations so trucks have a place to stop and rest safely.

April 1

•Launched a new $50 million Ontario Together Fund to help businesses provide innovative solutions or retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment, including gowns, coveralls, masks, face shields, testing equipment and ventilators.

•Ordered 10,000 ventilators from O-Two Medical Technologies with support from Auto Manufacturing Parts Association members, Linamar, Martinrea, and Magna.

 

March 31

•Extended closure of publicly funded schools for teachers until Friday, May 1, 2020, and to students until Monday, May 4, 2020.

•Extended closure of private schools, licensed child care centres and EarlyON programs until April 13.

•Launched the second phase of Learn at Home by working with education partners to re-establish teacher-led learning, leverage digital resources, and prioritizing students on track to graduate.

•Announced the province will launch a new challenge on Ontario Together to leverage partnerships with the telecommunication sector to provide innovative, low-cost and high-impact solutions to help more students with at-home learning.

•Easing the financial burden on students through a six-month grace period through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) on loan payments and interest accruals

•Finalized an agreement with eCampusOntario to make digital learning supports available to postsecondary institutions to enable Ontario colleges and universities to conduct year-end assessments for students.

•Investing $25 million in additional funding to help publicly-assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes respond to COVID-19 with deep cleaning, purchasing medical supplies or offering mental health supports.

 

March 30

•Extended the Declaration of Emergency and associated emergency measures, including the closure of non-essential workplaces and restrictions on social gatherings of more than five people until April 13.

•Issued a new emergency order to close all outdoor recreational amenities, such as sports fields and playgrounds.

•Doubled the $5 million investment announced in the fiscal update to a total of $10 million to help community organizations to coordinate the subsidized delivery of meals, medicines and other necessities to seniors.

•CMOH is strongly urging those over the age of 70 or those with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions to stay at home.

•Launched a new dedicated web page with enhanced public information about COVID-19, including changing how COVID-19 cases are being reported to provide a more relevant summary of data from Public Health Ontario.

•The province, in collaboration with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and in consultation with the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), Ontario Health and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), issued directive on health and safety standards for frontline nurses in hospitals in order to prevent exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.

 

March 29

•Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer announced updated guidance to help construction employers better understand their responsibilities and what is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the job site, including physical distancing measures and better sanitation.

 

March 28

•Issued a new emergency order to prohibit organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people.

•Implemented a new emergency order to provide staffing flexibility for long-term care homes and allow homes to redirect their staffing and financial resources to essential tasks and protecting residents.

•Announced new penalties to combat price gouging and hold offenders accountable for charging unfair prices on the necessary goods Ontarians need to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.

•Enabled MGCS and MOH to centrally manage public sector supply chains so the government can prioritize buying what is needed most, deploying them and allocating them on a priority basis to support the delivery of essential services to Ontarians. This will help ensure frontline workers have the essential goods and services they need in the fight against COVID-19.

 

March 27

•Provided more details on the $3.7 billion to protect people and jobs and $10 billion to improve cash flows for people and businesses that was outlined in Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19.

 

March 26

•Provided more details on the additional $3.3 billion to support frontline health care workers and increase health care capacity in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes increasing the number of assessment centres, adding more acute care and critical care beds, improving testing and providing more protective equipment for frontline workers.

•Provided more details on the $1.9 billion in Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) relief as part of the fiscal update to reduce the financial strain on business brought on by COVID-19.

 

March 25

•Launched Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19, a $17 billion emergency relief package to provide relief to families and certainty to businesses. This includes $3.3 billion in additional resources for the health care system, $3.7 billion in direct support for people and jobs, and $10 billion in support for people and businesses through tax and other deferrals to improve their cash flow.

•Launched the Stop the Spread Business Information Line, a toll-free line (1-888-444-3659) to provide support to Ontario businesses who have questions about the province's recent emergency order to close non-essential workplaces.

 

March 24

•Providing immediate electricity rate relief for families, small businesses and farms by switching to a fixed, off-peak rate 24/7 for time-of-use customers for 45 days.

•Ontario sees first two deaths in long-term care homes related to COVID-19.

•Issued a temporary order to give long-term care homes the ability to free-up valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans in response to COVID-19.

 

March 23

•Launched enhanced interactive online self-assessment tool.

•Ordered the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces effective as of Tuesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The closure will be in effect for 14 days with the possibility of extension. A list of essential workplaces was released.

•Providing $200 million in social services relief funding to help protect the health and safety of the province's most vulnerable people in response to COVID-19. $148 million in funding will help municipalities and social service providers such as shelters, food banks, emergency services, charities and non-profits continue to deliver critical services. The remaining $52 million will help provide emergency assistance through Ontario Works to those families and individuals who don’t qualify for federal emergency benefits.

 

March 22

•Closed all full-time DriveTest Centres and part-time Travel Point locations until further notice.

•Announced free local child care and the opening of select child care centres for frontline health care workers and first responders.

 

March 21

•Launched Ontario Together, a procurement portal to help businesses work with the province to provide much-needed supplies in response to COVID-19.

•Issued a temporary order to give hospitals the ability to cancel and postpone services to free-up space and valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans in response to COVID-19.

 

March 20

•Expanded health coverage by waiving the three-month wait period for OHIP. Additionally, COVID-19 treatment will be covered for those who are uninsured and may not qualify for OHIP. 

•Longer-term temporary absences will be allowed for inmates and non-violent offenders who are near the end of the sentences and who are at low risk to reoffend will be eligible for early release.

•The Ontario Parole Board will hold electronic hearings to reduce in-person contact.

•Announced the first phase of Learn at Home, an online portal that offers free, bilingual at-home learning resources in line with the Grades K-12 curriculum to during the school closure.

•U.S. – Canada border crossings close at midnight to all non-essential travel. Trade and commerce will not be affected. The closure will be in effect for 30 days and be re-evaluated at that time.

 

March 19

•Called an emergency session and passed critical legislation, including job-protected leave, 24/7 deliveries for businesses, and permitting virtual meetings for municipalities, with all-party support. Also implemented special measures to enable physical distancing in the Ontario legislature.

•Extended the validity period for driver’s licences, ID cards and health cards about to expire. Customers are advised not to visit ServiceOntario centres unless absolutely necessary and use online services instead.

•Ontario courts will limit in-person proceedings where possible. Video and audio conferencing will be used instead. All Tribunals including Local Planning Appeal Tribunals, Human Rights Tribunals, and Landlord and Tenant Board Tribunals are postponed to a later date. Small Claims Court is suspended until further notice. All non-urgent matters before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court have been adjourned.

•           Closed all provincial parks from March 19 to April 30, including for day use.

 

 

March 18

•Recommended that retirement homes only allow essential visitors, such as those visiting the very ill or end-of-life visits, upon the advice of the CMOH.

•Announced the province is increasing its COVID-19 testing capacity from 2,000 tests per day to 5,000 per day by early April.

•Ordered an additional 300 ventilators.

 

March 17

•Declared a state of emergency.

oThe first order is to close bars and restaurants (excepting take-out and delivery), public recreation centres, libraries, private schools, child care centres, theatres, and concert venues. All public events of more than 50 people are cancelled including services at places of worship. These measures are effective until March 31.

oEssential services, such as grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, public transit, manufacturing facilities, and supply chain companies remain open/operational.

oThe Liquor Control Board of Ontario and The Beer Store affirm their stores will remain open, while they adopt enhanced cleaning measures.

•Enhanced the province’s response to COVID-19 with up to $304 million in funding including building additional hospital capacity, supporting public health units with testing and screening, purchasing additional personal protective equipment for frontline workers and ventilators, providing 24/7 screening at long-term care homes, and dedicated supports for rural, remote, Northern, and Indigenous communities.

•A deceased patient is posthumously diagnosed with COVID-19, potentially becoming the province’s first casualty. The coroner is investigating the cause of death.

 

 

March 16

•Announced legislation to provide job-protected leave for workers with symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been asked to self-isolate for a 14-day period, and for those who need to take a leave to take care of children during school and day care closures; employees with symptoms or asked to self-isolate will not be required to obtain a doctor’s note.

•Announced a fiscal and economic update on March 25, instead of a full budget, to respond to the current situation and provide relief to families and businesses.

•Expanding Telehealth resources to help reduce call wait times and manage higher-than-usual call volumes.

•Suspending all personal visitors and cancelling volunteer activities at youth justice centres.

•Limited non-essential visits to long-term care homes, with the exception of people visiting residents who are very ill or require end-of-life care.

•Requested the closure of libraries, recreational programs, private schools, day cares, places of worship, bars and restaurants, with the exception of takeout and delivery services, on the recommendation of the CMOH.

•Suspended eviction notices and enforcement until further notice.

•Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation closes all casinos in response to the recommendation of the CMOH regarding the avoidance of gatherings of over 250 people.

 

March 15

•Announced the ramping down of elective surgeries at Ontario hospitals in order to preserve capacity upon the recommendation of the CMOH.

•Ontario Parks has cancelled all public events and closed all visitor centres until further notice. Camp sites and day use will still be available.

•Metrolinx releases a reduced schedule effective March 18 for GO Transit rail and bus services.

March 14

•Released a statement assuring that Ontario’s food distribution system will continue to operate and meet Ontarians needs.

 

March 13

•Announced that intermittent inmates serving weekend sentences will be given a temporary absence of custody and allowed to return home in order to reduce COVID-19 transmission in correctional facilities.

•Suspended all gatherings of over 250 people upon recommendation from the CMOH. This impacts the province’s attractions agencies and convention centres that will be required to take appropriate measures. Many of these venues have voluntarily closed.

•Worked with Ontario’s post-secondary institutions to ensure they have a COVID-19 response plan in place to ensure academic continuity.

March 12

•Closed all publicly funded schools in Ontario from March 14 through until April 5 by ministerial order upon the advice of the CMOH.

•Enhanced access to COVID-19 screening and expanding lab-testing capacity.

•Launched a province-wide public education campaign and website. Fact sheets on the virus are provided in 30 languages.

•Extended one-time mitigation funding for municipal public health units for an additional year in order to provide stability and resources necessary for the COVID-19 public health response.

March 11

•Instructed long-term care homes to begin active screening of visitors, volunteers, staff and new residents for symptoms of COVID-19.

•Long-term care home respiratory tests will now be additionally screened for COVID-19.

March 9

•The province’s COVID-19 website is now updated twice daily at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

 

March 2

•Created an enhanced response structure, including a Command Table to serve as a single point of oversight on the province’s COVID-19 response.

 

February 12

•Confirmed the third case of COVID-19 is resolved and the patient has recovered.

 

January 31

•The third case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Ontario.

 

January 27

•The second case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Ontario.

 

January 26

•CMOH briefed Ontario’s directors of education on COVID-19 on the province’s protocols to monitor, detect, and contain cases of the virus.

 

January 25

•The first case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Ontario.

 

January 24

•The Federal government introduced enhanced screening and detection measures at Pearson International Airport for any travellers who had been to Wuhan, China in the previous 14 days.

 

January 22

•Made COVID-19 a designated reportable disease under Ontario’s public health legislation.