By: Phillip Blancher, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Morrisburg Leader
TORONTO – Ontario’s emergency Stay-at-Home order ends June 2nd, but public health measures put in place under the order will remain in effect. This includes non-essential retail businesses continuing to be restricted to curbside pick up orders.
Ontario’s Solicitor General Sylvia Jones issued the extension of orders on June 1 as the Stay-at-Home order was set to expire.
“We have seen great progress in our fight against COVID-19 in recent weeks, but now is not the time to let our guard down,” Jones said in a release Tuesday afternoon. “We need to provide people with certainty so they can continue to follow public health guidance.”
Existing restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings, business activities, services, and recreational activities will all remain in place until the province enters Step One of its three-step reopening plan. One exception to the continued orders is that Ontarians with a second residence like a cottage can now travel within the province to go to it. But those owners cannot host people from other households. The ban on non-essential inter-provincial travel has also been extended to June 16.
Last week, Premier Doug Ford said that Step One should begin around June 14. Non-essential retail stores will be able to reopen at 15 per cent capacity once the province enters the first step of the reopening plan.
Leading up to the end of the Stay-at-Home order there was a lot of confusion, especially for businesses that have had their activities restricted under the Stay-at-Home order period, which began on April 7.
Still pending is an announcement by the Ministry of Education on whether students will return to in-person learning to finish out the 2020-21 school year. An announcement was expected by June 1. The last day of the school year is June 28.
COVID-19 restrictions to continue past June 2
