• Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health for Huron and Perth counties, will issue formal instructions to employers to require the use of face coverings in all commercial establishments, effective Friday, July 17. See HERE for more information.

• It was announced this afternoon that a number of regions in Ontario, including ours, will be moving into Stage 3 effective 12:01am on Friday July 17, 2020. As part of the Stage 3 reopening, nearly all businesses and public spaces can reopen with public health and safety restrictions in place. There are some businesses and activities that will remain closed in Stage 3 until a plan to safely resume operations has been approved by health experts. In addition to the reopening of businesses, Stage 3 will also include indoor gathering limits increasing to a maximum of 50 people and the outdoor gathering limits increasing to a maximum of 100 people with physical distancing still being maintained. For more information about this next stage of reopening, including which businesses are allowed to reopen and exceptions to Stage 3 reopening, please visit the Government of Ontario’s site outlining Stage 3 reopening.
• Along with the Stage 3 reopening announcement, the provincial government also announced that child care centres and home child care providers in Ontario will be able to operate with cohorts of 15 children, up from the currently cap of 10, effective July 27, 2020. Child care operators will need to operate with strict safety and operational requirements in place. The province has released over 170 safety guidance resources to help businesses and organizations and a variety of sectors.
• The Ontario government, in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended all emergency orders currently in force that were made under s.7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to July 22, 2020. The extension was made to ensure the province maintains the necessary flexibility to protect public health and safety as more businesses reopen and people go back to work. See the news release HERE.
• The Premier announced that legislation, called The Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act 2020, has been introduced. If passed, this legislation will allow the government to extend or amend some emergency orders a month at a time, with the law expiring a year after it's passed unless extended by the Ontario legislature.
• The Premier announced funding to provide free online health and safety training. Job seekers, who can take this free training through Employment Ontario, will be able to access 10 courses including infection control, conducting health and safety incident investigations, ladder safety, slips, trips and falls prevention, and preventing workplace violence and harassment. Job seekers should contact an Employment Ontario service provider in their area to enroll. In addition, worker and employer members of Joint Health and Safety Committees can now use video conferencing to take training in real-time with qualified instructors from training providers approved by Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer.
• As a reminder, the Ontario government has launched a website, the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory, to provide businesses with a list of Ontario companies and business associations that are ready to supply PPE to businesses.

• The Prime Minister indicated the government’s intention to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) until December 2020. More information will be shared when available.
• A reminder that the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Government of Canada’s PPE Supply Hub website to bring together available resources for organizations who are buying and selling PPE. Buyers will find PPE supplier lists, in addition to guidance to help plan their PPE purchases.
• A reminder that the federal government has launched a Business Support Portal to help businesses find COVID-19 support they may qualify for.