The Ontario government issued guidance Thursday for workplaces and businesses on how to safely reopen when the time comes – and it might not be that far off.
On its website, the province has published COVID-19 guidance notes and posters for the construction, food processing, restaurant, food services, agriculture, manufacturing and long-term care sectors, with more to come.
Ontario’s health and safety associations have also developed detailed guidance documents for workers and employers in a large swath of sectors – health and safety advice for curbside pick-up and delivery, best practices for sharing tools, and more.
“We have many reasons to be optimistic right now … We have thrown everything we have at this virus, and because of that – because of you – we have made tremendous progress,” said Premier Doug Ford.
“Today, we’re on the path to reopening the economy, because that curve is flattening, that surge in our hospitals – we avoided it – and that trend is going down.”
“I am laser-focused right now on opening things up as quickly as we can in a safe and measured way.”
More advice is forthcoming for additional sectors of the economy, said Ford. “These guidelines will help Ontario businesses adapt to the new reality we face, and keep workers and customers safe.”
Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton also announced an additional 58 people will join the province’s labour inspectors, who will focus on communicating COVID-19 safety guidelines to essential workplaces, as well as enforcing emergency measures such as physical distancing on job sites and closing non-essential businesses.
National Post – Taylor Blewett and Andrew Duffy – May 1, 2020.
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