UPDATE, April 17: Ontario walks back new pandemic police powers following widespread backlash
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New provincewide restrictions to help curb the spread of COVID-19 take effect today.
Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford extended the state of emergency at stay-at-home by two weeks. It will now be in place until at least May 20.
Further restrictions to limit mobility have also been put in place, along with the authority for police to enforce the regulations while the stay-at-home order is in effect.
Here's what you can and can't do under the restrictions:
- People are required to stay at home except for essential reasons such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health-care services, for outdoor exercise or for work that cannot be done remotely.
- All outdoor social gatherings and organized public events are prohibited except with members of your household or with one other person from another household who lives alone or a caregiver for any member of the household
- All non-essential workplaces in the construction sector are closed. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said yesterday that non-essential construction includes shopping malls, hotels and office towers. Construction for homes, hospitals, assessment centres and longterm care homes is permitted with COVID-19 safety precautions.
- Capacity for all essential retail settings that are allowed to be open is further reduced to 25 per cent. Examples of these retailers are grocery stores, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food.
- All outdoor recreation is closed. This includes golf courses, basketball courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds with limited exceptions.
- Starting on Monday, April 19, there are further capacity limits for weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites or ceremonies. The new cap is 10 people indoors or outdoors. Social gatherings associated with the services are prohibited unless with members of the same household or one other person from outside the household who lives alone. Drive-in services are permitted.
- Non-essential retailers are allowed to operate under the measures announced last week. This means they are closed for in-person shopping, but may offer curbside pick up and delivery.
Enforcement
For the duration of the stay-at-home order, police officers and other provincial offences officers have increased powers to support its enforcement.
The changes mean:
- Police and provincial offences officers are allowed to ask people to provide their home address and the reason for not being at home.
- Police officers, special constables and First Nation constables can stop vehicles to ask why someone is leaving their home.
- The fine for contravening the Emergency Management and Protection Act can be up to $750.
Interprovincial travel
Travel into Ontario from Manitoba and Quebec is being restricted starting Monday, April 19.
Ford said that checkpoints will be set up starting next week.
Travel between the provinces will only be permitted for work, medical reasons, the transport of goods, and exercising Indigenous treaty rights. Anyone without a permitted reason to travel can be turned away at the provincial border.
