The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, has declared a second provincial emergency under s 7.0.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA).
Stay at home
As of January 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., a stay at home order is in effect for all of Ontario.
This means you must stay at home. You should only go out for necessities, such as:
- getting food, beverages or medication
- the regulations also permit: “Purchasing or picking up goods through an alternate method of sale, such as curbside pickup, from a business or place that is permitted to provide curbside pickup under the Stage 1 Order.”
- going to medical appointments
- supporting vulnerable community members
- child care
- attending school or a post-secondary institution
- going to a bank
- accessing government services
- getting exercise or walking pets
- going to work, if you can’t do it remotely
Businesses must ensure that all employees work from home if they can.
Do not travel outside your region or the province unless absolutely necessary.
Fines
Enforcement officers are able to issue tickets and fines to individuals and businesses who are not following the orders.
The set fines are:
$750 for not following an order
$1,000 for preventing others (including individuals, employees or other workers) from following an order
Maximum fines can be up to $100,000 for individuals and $10 million for a corporation.
Failure to follow the rules could also result in prosecution or even a year in jail.