- Integrated Human Services
- Paramedic Services
- Administration
- About us
- News
Ministry of the Solicitor General
Public Safety Division
25 Grosvenor St.,12th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 2H3
MEMORANDUM TO: All Chiefs of Police and Commissioner Thomas Carrique Chairs, Police Services Boards
FROM: Richard Stubbings, Assistant Deputy Minister Public Safety Division
SUBJECT: Declaration of Provincial Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and Amendments to the Reopening Ontario Act
DATE OF ISSUE: April 8, 2021 CLASSIFICATION: General Information RETENTION: Indefinite INDEX NO.: 21-0044 PRIORITY: High |
As you know, the government has declared a third provincial emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) in order to respond to rising COVID-19 cases, increasing death counts, and increasing capacity pressures in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
Please note that the orders made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) remain in force in addition to orders under the EMCPA. The EMCPA provides the government with the authority to make new orders, which is critical given the spike in COVID-19 transmission rates and associated system impacts. While the current orders under the ROA remain an important tool in stopping the spread of COVID-19, the declaration of the provincial emergency and associated EMCPA orders are necessary additional measures to protect Ontarians.
The emergency declaration is valid for up to 14 days and can be extended once for up to another 14 days, and then must receive approval by the Legislature to be extended further. The Legislature can extend the emergency declaration for additional periods of no more than 28 days for each extension.
In addition to the emergency declaration, I am providing further information on emergency orders made pursuant to section 7.0.2 (4) of the EMCPA and further amendments to regulations under the ROA.
Effective April 8, 2021, the government issued a province-wide Stay-at-Home Order requiring everyone to remain at home except for the essential purposes listed in this order. These exceptions include, but are not limited to, leaving one’s residence for work or volunteering that cannot be done remotely, for school or childcare, obtaining food, obtaining goods or services necessary for health or safety, delivering goods to or assisting others who require support or assistance, seeking health care and legal services, and exercise, including walking or moving around outside using an assistive mobility device.
For more information, please refer to O. Reg. 265/21 filed under the EMCPA.
Effective April 8, 2021, the order will temporarily suspend enforcement of residential evictions, except where:
For further information, please refer to O. Reg. 266/21 filed under the EMCPA.
On April 3, 2021, Ontario imposed a provincewide emergency brake to place time-limited public health and workplace safety measures into effect to help to stop the rapid transmission of COVID-19 variants in communities. The emergency brake amended the Stages of Reopening Order under the ROA, by placing all public health units (PHUs) under the Shutdown zone of stage 1.
Measures that remain in effect as a result of this order include:
This regulation which came into force today contains further amendments to the rules for Shutdown zone of stage 1 include the following:
For further information, please refer to the amending regulation O. Reg. 267/21.
The ministry recognizes that province-wide, police services are continuing to work together with local enforcement partners, and to implement targeted local campaigns to reinforce the public health requirements under the ROA and EMCPA.
As you are aware, for offences under the ROA and EMCPA, police and other provincial offences officers including First Nation Constables, Special Constables, and municipal by-law officers have discretion to either issue tickets to individuals for set fine amounts or issue a summons under Part I of the Provincial Offences Act (POA), or to proceed under Part III of the POA by laying an information.
The ministry continues to work with enforcement ministries and municipalities to collaborate and information share, including through the dedicated 1-800 Enforcement Support Line and email resource at EssentialWorkplacesSupport.SolGen@ontario.ca. Analysis of enforcement data that your police service provides to the ministry continues to support data-driven decision-making.
As cases continue to trend sharply upward in a growing number of communities, I encourage you to continue local enforcement efforts to support compliance with orders under the EMCPA and ROA.
Thank you, as always, for your continued efforts to help keep our communities safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Richard Stubbings
Assistant Deputy Minister
Public Safety Division