Ontario to extend emergency orders under Reopening Ontario Act
Ontario has extended the government's power to keep all emergency orders in place under the Reopening Ontario Act until March 2022.
The emergency orders, which were set to expire on Dec. 1, will be extended after a motion by Solicitor General Sylvia Jones was passed at Queen's Park on Tuesday.
The motion gives the Doug Ford government the power to extend emergency orders until March 28. Each order under the ROA must be extended by cabinet in 30-day increments.
A spokesperson for Jones told CTV News Toronto the extension of emergency powers aligns with the government's plan to lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions by March.
Without extending the ROA, all public health measures currently in place would have expired on Dec. 1.
There are currently 28 orders in effect under the reopening act, including the proof of vaccination system.
The ROA gives the government the power to implement rules on public gatherings, business closures and managing outbreaks in hospitals or long-term care homes.
Earlier this month, Ontario paused the next step of the reopening plan because of an increase in COVID-19 cases.
On Nov. 15, capacity limits were supposed to be lifted in remaining high-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required.
That step was been delayed at least 28 days.
The next step of the reopening plan, which is scheduled for Jan. 17, would see capacity limits gradually lifted in places where proof of vaccination is not required. The province’s vaccine certificate system could also be gradually lifted at this time.
On Feb. 7, the government plans to lift proof of vaccination requirements in high-risk settings, including night clubs, strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs.
On March 28, Ontario plans on lifting the remaining public health measures, including wearing face coverings in door public settings. Proof of vaccination would also be lifted for all settings.
Ontario MPP Gurratan Singh, critic for the Attorney General, told CTV News Toronto in a statement he has "serious concerns" about the extension of the emergency orders.
"The NDP has serious concerns about what Doug Ford could use these powers to do, such as further cuts to important services and more backroom decisions that serve Ford and his developer buddies, not the public interest."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.