Ontario Releases Report on COVID-19 Emergency Measures

Action taken during declared provincial emergency necessary to keep Ontarians safe

On November 2, 2020, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones tabled a report in the Legislature providing details of the emergency measures put in place by the province to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep Ontarians safe. The report focuses on the 47 emergency orders made between March 17 and July 24, 2020 when the Declaration of a Provincial Emergency was in effect under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).

“The Ontario government has taken decisive action to protect public health and stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Minister Jones. “This report summarizes how our government, with the advice of public health experts, used the tools provided under Ontario’s emergency legislation to keep people safe and mitigate the impact of the virus while the declared provincial emergency was in effect.”

The EMCPA requires the government table a report in the Legislature within 120 days after a provincial emergency ends. The COVID-19 report outlines the rationale for issuing the 47 emergency orders and the important role they played to protect the community, including:

Limiting the spread of COVID-19
Supporting continuity of critical services
Supporting business
Supporting vulnerable sectors
Providing cost relief to Ontarians

“While the declared provincial emergency was terminated on July 24, 2020, the fight against COVID-19 is ongoing and our government continues to take the action needed to protect the health and well-being of Ontarians,” said Minister Jones. “We all have a role to play and with the upward trend in COVID-19 cases, we need to follow public health advice and practice physical distancing, wear a face covering when in public places or when physical distancing is a challenge, wash your hands frequently, and limit social contact to those within our own household.”

Quick Facts

The Government of Ontario declared a provincial emergency under s.7.0.1 of the EMPCA on March 17, 2020. The declaration was terminated July 24, 2020.
The Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) came into force on July 24, 2020. Many of the orders made under the EMPCA were continued and remain in effect under the ROA.
A full list of current orders in effect under the ROA can be found on the e-Laws website and at Ontario.ca/alert.