Dear Neighbour,

Today we learned what the reopening of Ontario may look like. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the provincial government has released a Framework for Reopening our Province. This plan outlines how the province will implement a multi-stage, gradual approach to reintroducing services and loosening emergency measures. The approach is cautious, which is good. I have summarized the framework and phases below and if you would like to read the full plan, you can click here.

While it may be exciting to hear about the end of what has been a difficult time for us, it is important to note that no specific dates are being discussed at this time. We are only talking about the how. The when will come down to a careful decision made by public health officials, and they have not seen the circumstances which show we’re at that point, yet. Thank you for holding on, our communal efforts are making a difference to slow the spread of COVID-19.

We must also ensure that safety remains at the forefront of every measure taken. Epidemiologists have said that there must be a proactive governmental effort to ramp up inspections, testing, and meet PPE supply demands to keep our frontline workers safe if we hope to relax physical distancing measures. An increase in testing for community spread is also essential to ensure that we are implementing effective contact-tracing operations. These measures of infection control are absolutely necessary for the continued success of our response to COVID-19 and to prevent a resurgence. My colleagues and I continue to monitor this to ensure that returning to work will be safe and we protect those who are most vulnerable.

Over the weekend, there was a wide range of announcements concerning education, community gardens, new and amended emergency orders, provincial parks and conservation areas, and pandemic pay for frontline workers. You can read a summary of all these announcements below.

As always, wash your hands. Stay home (unless you must work). Be kind. We are all in this together!

Warmly,

When considering the right time to reopen the Province, public health officials will take the following figures into consideration:

• A consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases;

• Sufficient acute and critical care capacity, including access to ventilators and ongoing availability of personal protective equipment;

• Approx. 90% of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by local public health officials within one day, with guidance and direction to contain community spread;

• Ongoing testing of suspected COVID-19 cases, especially of vulnerable populations, to detect new outbreaks quickly

When our medical and public health experts decide the time is right for measures to be loosened and services to be re-introduced, it will happen in a phased approach that will follow this format:

• Stage 1: For businesses that were ordered to close or restrict operations, opening select workplaces that can immediately modify operations to follow public health guidance. Opening of select outdoor spaces and allowing for small gatherings. Hospitals would begin to offer non-urgent and scheduled surgeries and other health care services. 

• Stage 2: Opening of more workplaces, based on risk assessments, which may include some service industries and additional office and retail workplaces. Some larger public gatherings would be allowed, and more outdoor spaces would open.

• Stage 3: Opening of all workplaces responsibility and further relaxing of restrictions on public gatherings.

• The closure of all publicly-funded schools in Ontario will be extended until May 31, 2020. For more information about the Ministry of Education’s Learn at Home resources, click here. 

  • Exam and PA days will be replaced with instructional time. Final details on the amended schedule will be communicated directly from your child’s school. 

  • Expansions are coming to the summer learning program. This program will not be mandatory and will be available to elementary and high-school students, it will focus on support for vulnerable students and upgrading courses. 

  • There remains no plan to extend the academic year into the summer months. It is the continued expectation that all students expected to graduate in June 2020 will be able to. 

• Under a new emergency order issued by the Province of Ontario over the weekend, community gardens and allotment gardens will be allowed to open. This is welcome news as gardens across Parkdale—High Park are an important source of food security for many folks. Public health advice on the safe operation of public gardens will be issued shortly. Full order available here.

• Frontline workers in long-term care homes, retirement homes, emergency shelters, supportive housing, social services congregate care settings, corrections institutions, and youth justice facilities, as well as those providing home and community care and some staff in hospitals, will be eligible for Pandemic Pay. 

  • This income supplement will provide $4 per hour on top of existing hourly wages, regardless of their base wage. 

  • Employees who work over 100 hours per month will be eligible to receive an additional $250 lump sum payment per month, for each of the next four months. 

  • This means eligible frontline workers who work an average of 40 hours per week can receive $3560 in additional compensation over the next four months.

• Note: I have heard from many regarding various frontline workers (paramedics, respiratory therapists etc.) left out of the pandemic pay plan. This is, of course, a big concern. Please know that my colleagues and I have already raised this issue and are working to ensure no one is left behind.

• The closure of all Ontario Parks and conservation reserves will be extended for car camping, backcountry camping, day-use opportunities, covered accommodations, access points, and all public buildings until May 31, 2020. For the latest updates, visit ontarioparks.com/covid19.

• Amended emergency orders issued by the Province of Ontario will allow for additional flexibility in the deployment options and services being offered by various frontline support workers. These include:

  • The temporary reassignment of frontline staff from hospitals to provide services and support in long-term care homes. This will help to quickly provide much-needed staffing support to long-term care homes while they continue to fight outbreaks.

  • Staffing flexibility to service providers and employers in the intervenor services sector, which helps people who have a combined loss of hearing and vision. This will give employers the temporary authority to redirect staff to carry out essential tasks to support and protect people who are deafblind. It will also ensure staffing measures are in place to allow for physical distancing.

• Full details available here.