COVID-19: March 30th Update
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Hello Tourism Operators and Colleagues:
We hope this message finds you healthy and safe. We continue to track changes and updates surrounding COVID-19 that directly impact our industry. We are also working to provide information to Government and our tourism partners to ensure they understand the impacts all of you are currently and potentially facing depending on the longevity of this unprecedented virus.
In this newsletter you will find t
he following:
- Federal & Provincial Announcements and Supports
- NOTO's Recommendations to Government to Support Resource-based Tourism Industry
- Border Closures (US-Canada & Provincial) & Domestic Travel Restrictions
- TIAO Industry Call Information - April 1st, 2020
- Accommodations: Disinfection information from Public Health Ontario
- Conference Calls & Townhalls: Notes from calls over the last two weeks
- Survey Results So Far - New Survey coming out Wednesday
We will continue to strive to bring forward pertinent information to the tourism industry as it becomes available. We will also do our best to find answers to your questions. Do not hesitate to contact us,
NOTO Contact Emails:
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Government Announcements
Federal:
On March 25th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
which will provide $2,000 a month for four months to people who are off work as a result of COVID-19. This includes those who are sick, in quarantine, taking care of children or seniors, contractors and those self-employed.
Additionally, workers who are still employed, but are not receiving income because of disruptions to their work situation due to COVID-19, would also qualify for the CERB.
Individuals can begin applying to this benefit on April 6th.
- Increased the wage subsidy from 10% to 75% per employee back dated to March 15th. More details on this initiative were provided during today's announcement. Any business who has seen a reduction of 30% or more in terms of revenues will qualify for this program. Businesses must prove that they are capable of paying the 25% and that they have taken steps to keep staff employed.
- The new Canadian Emergency Business Account which will provide up to 40,000$ in loans to businesses who qualify (1st year interest free) with up to $10,000 forgivable to qualifying businesses
- Defer GST, HST payments, and duties and taxes owed on imported goods until June.
Provincial:
Ontario released it's
COVID-19 Action Plan
on March 25th, 2020. Unfortunately, it did not include much support for small businesses or self-employed individuals. The only initiatives to date that could apply to you are off-peak pricing for hydro over the next 45 days, a 5-month interest and penalty free relief for businesses to file and make payments for the majority of provincially administered taxes, and allowing employers to defer WSIB payments for up to six months.
The Province has also prohibited
gatherings of more than 5 people
over the weekend. Exemptions include private households with five people or more, operating child care centres supporting frontline health care workers and first responders provided the number of persons at each centre does not exceed 50 people. Funerals would be permitted to proceed with up to 10 people at one time.
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NOTO's Recommendations to Government:
A "Resource-Based Tourism Emergency Fund"
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Through consulting with all of you, as well as other Provincial and National tourism organizations, NOTO has prepared and sent a request for support for the resource-based tourism industry. We thank those who have taken the time to answer surveys and provide your comments and questions.
Here are the supports we have asked for to date:
- The establishment of a Resource-Based Tourism Emergency Fund to help operators survive this extended period of uncertainty and loss, and to mitigate the impacts on the sector.
- Top-up the Federal Government wage subsidy
- Offset other fixed business costs
- Temporary measures to allow tourism businesses to better manage cash flow, reduce fixed costs, and retain staff during the crisis period, such as: Property/land tax, suspension of tenure fees; loan and lease payment relief; etc.
- Defer Property and land tax liabilities and payments to 2021
- Waive land tenure and other permit fees for 2020 (ie. LUP, BMA and bait harvester fees)
- Correct the Gasoline Tax Rebate application and modify the documentation requirements to better reflect the Gasoline Tax Act so that operators can successfully apply for the rebates.
- Assistance to tourism sector associations who are likely to experience revenue reductions due to declining memberships.
- Continued and enhanced supports for Regional Tourism Organizations whose funding is calculated based on tourism receipts in their regions and will see those numbers plummet this fiscal.
- Stimulus and recovery funding for tourism product investments to ensure the industry can quickly rebound once the outbreak is over; and,
- Assistance to advocate to the Federal Government on further measures to mitigate business insolvency and job loss in this sector.
- Enhance the Federal loan facility
- Defer corporate income tax liability and offer employers a three-year repayment period starting in 2021
As you will note, some of these items have already been addressed as small businesses call for action. Our Governments continue to be updating existing and developing new supports almost on a daily basis. We will strive to get the ear of Government to have the recommendations we have made come to fruition.
NOTO will continue to take these items forward one our own as well as through our tourism partners like Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and the Canadian Federation of Outfitter Associations (CFOA).
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Border Closures & Domestic Travel Restrictions
Announcement From the Canadian Border Security Agency
The most recent
announcement of exemptions from the border restrictions
was released this weekend with a primary focus on agricultural and fisheries workers. This announcement does not provide clarity on if Americans who own Canadian businesses will be allowed to cross the border. We have heard from a few operators who have been told by Border Security that due to tourism being deemed "non-essential", tourism operators would be deemed "non-essential" as well and will be denied entry into Canada.
NOTO will continue to seek support from other tourism partners and continue to push Government to allow American business owners to cross the US-Canada border. NOTO hopes to obtain a definitive answer by the end of this week.
Additional note:
As of March 25th, Health Minister Patty Hajdu has made it mandatory for all travellers coming into Canada to enter a mandatory 14 days of isolation under the
Quarantine Act
. "Maximum penalties include a fine of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months. Further, a person who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while wilfully or recklessly contravening this Act or the regulations could be liable for a fine of up to $1,000,000 or to imprisonment of up to three years, or both."
Announcement from Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health: Travel in Ontario
Today, (March 30th) Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams released a statement regarding the need for Ontarians to stay home to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. In particular, he stated;
"I strongly recommend you and other members of your household stay home except for essential reasons, such as to:
- Access health care services;
- Shop for groceries;
- Pick-up medication at the pharmacy;
- Walk pets when required; and
- Support vulnerable community members with meeting the above needs.
To the fullest extent possible, you should also limit the number of these essential trips. However, when you are out in public you must adhere to physical distancing by reducing your exposure to other people outside of your household by keeping two metres from other people."
See the full statement
HERE
.
Announcement from Transport Canada: Domestic Travel
As of noon today,
new domestic transportation measures
have been put into place to support provincial, territorial and local efforts to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spreading from travelling within Canada.
These new measures include:
Air
- A requirement for all air operators to conduct a health check of travellers before they board a flight within Canada or departing from Canada, based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. This would include asking health questions, looking for visible signs of illness prior to boarding, and recommending the traveller follow guidance from local health authorities.
- A requirement for air operators to refuse boarding to a passenger that presents COVID-19 symptoms. The denial will remain in effect for a period of 14 days, or until a medical certificate is presented that confirms that the traveller’s symptoms are not related to COVID-19. These measures will apply to aircraft with 10 seats or more.
- A requirement for air operators to notify travellers that they may be subject to provincial or territorial measures at their final destination.
Rail
- A requirement for intercity passenger rail companies to do a health check to screen passengers for COVID-19 symptoms before they board a train, based on guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. This will include company representatives asking simple health questions, looking for visible signs of illness prior to boarding, and recommending the passenger follow guidance from local health authorities.
- A requirement for intercity passenger rail companies to refuse boarding to a passenger that presents COVID-19 symptoms. The denial will remain in effect for a period of 14 days, or until a medical certificate is presented that confirms that the traveller’s symptoms are not related to COVID-19.
- These measures do not apply to commuter trains.
Provincial Border Closures
Border restrictions between Ontario and Québec (controled by Sûreté du Québec):
Only essential travel will be allowed through (workers from ON who work in Québec, Québec residents returning home, humanitarian aid/health officials).
• Hwy 101 (ON)/Route 388 (QU): Matheson to Duparquet
• Hwy 66 (ON)/Route 117 (QU): Kirkland Lake to Rouyn-Noranda
• Hwy 65 (ON)/Route 101 (QU): New Liskeard to Notre-Dame-du-Nord
• Hwy 63 (ON)/Route 101 (QU): North Bay to Temiscaming
Please note, there are additional travel restrictions within the province itself to isolate COVID-19 hotspots and areas most vulnerable. If you need to travel through Quebec, please visit
Québec 511
to plan your route.
Manitoba Border Checkpoints:
Individuals entering Manitoba through any of the borders listed below will be
stopped at a checkpoint. These checkpoints have been initiated to alert travellers entering the province that they need to isolate for 14 days and will provide information concerning the coronavirus.
Ontario border:
- Trans-Canada Highway east (West Hawk Lake/Falcon Lake).
Saskatchewan border:
- Trans-Canada Highway west (west of Kirkella/Elkhorn/Virden).
- Highway 16 (west of Russell).
- Highway 5W (west of Roblin).
- Highway 2 (west of Sinclair/Reston/Souris).
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TIAO Industry Call
TIAO invites all tourism operators to participate in another call to provide you all with an update on the COVID-19 situation and allow operators to ask questions.
TIAO will be joined on the calls by President and Chief Executive Officer of Destination Ontario, Lisa Lavecchia.
The agenda for the meeting can be viewed
here
and you can download the notes from last week's meetings
here
.
Here are the meeting details:
Wednesday April 1st at 2:30pm (EST)
Meeting ID: 318 591 031 Password: 015479
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Are You Opening Your Accommodations?
The provincial Government has announced that all gatherings larger than 5 people are prohibited. Currently, there is no order or legislation that prevents operators from opening their accommodations. It is very important that operators who wish to do so practice enhanced infection prevention and control when cleaning and disinfecting rooms when guests leave.
Public Health Ontario states that all cleaning products must have a drug identification number (DIN) to be an approved disinfectant in Canada. House hold bleach and isopropyl alcohol are the only exceptions without a DIN. When using these products, please ensure that you are reading the manufacturer’s instructions on the back of the disinfectant to determine how long the surface needs to stay wet to adequately disinfect the surface you’re cleaning. Ensure that you are cleaning all “high touch surfaces” in rooms as well as around your business. These surfaces include: tables, door knobs, counters, light switches, railings, etc. Encourage staff to wear proper personal protective equipment such as gloves and long sleeve shirts while cleaning. Gloves should be changed before cleaning another room.
Public Health Ontario and Algoma Public Health have created these resources that may be useful:
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COVID-19 Conference Calls: Follow-up Notes and FAQs
NOTO and several operators, tourism organizations, and industry representatives have been participating in conference calls hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), Destination Canada, and the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries tele-townhalls with Minister MacLeod.
As many of you may not have had the opportunity to participate in these calls, we've included links to notes and minutes of previous calls below:
We have asked the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries for any summaries from Minister MacLeod's Tele-townhalls. We will share them once they become available.
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Survey Results
Thank you
for responding to the surveys that have been circulating. They are critical to informing discussion
s with Government and our tourism colleagues as we work to recommend and develop supports for the tourism industry. It is very apparent that tourism businesses across Ontario are already being heavily impacted by COVID-19. Here are the results from the surveys conducted so far.
There will be a third survey this week from TIAO on Wednesday.
Northern Surveys (Destination Northern Ontario):
Canadian Federation of Outfitters Association (CFOA) Survey:
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) Surveys:
- Tourism Impact Survey (March 14): prioritized measuring the scale of the immediate impact on tourism businesses and their workforce across the province, the first 7 days after COVID 19 was declared a global pandemic.
- Tourism Impact Survey #2 (March 18): focused on measuring the impact on tourism businesses revenue, sales, and year over year differences for a comparative analysis.
Thank you to Destination Northern Ontario, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and Canadian Federation of Outfitter Associations (CFOA) for their work on these surveys.
NOTO Surveys:
NOTO has conducted a bear outfitters impact survey as the spring bear hunt is around the corner and they will be some of the first businesses to feel a substantial impact as a result of COVID-19. We will share the results of this survey with you all next week. We have extended the completion deadline for this Survey to March 31st at 4pm (EST).
If you offer bear hunting and have not completed the survey click here to do so now.
NOTO will also be conducting a survey to asses how much operators pay in terms of other permits to help us press Government to pause the collection of permit fees until 2021. Please continue to answer future surveys as they become available so that we can continue to monitor the impacts that COVID-19 is having on the industry.
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ALERT! Fake News
Today this post made its way onto social media.
Please note
it is not real
and we suggest you do not share it. It is hard to believe that there are humans that would create and spread fake news like that at a time like this.
Be smart and safe out there.
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NOTO's COVID-19 Page
This page was created to keep you informed on the latest developments that may impact/help your businesses. This page features links to our COVID-19 newsletters, Government resources, information that may be useful to tourism operators and links to supports for tourism operators as they become available. This page will be updated regularly during this pandemic.
There are FAQ's with answers and tips from NOTO surrounding comforting concerned guests, how to market for the upcoming season, encouraging postponing vs cancellations of trips, and what to do about staffing. FAQs will be regularly updated as well.
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Federal & Provincial Government Information
The Ontario and Federal Governments are regularly updating COVID-19 information, travel information, Minister statements, Government initiatives and statistics on their websites. For additional information from the Ontario or Federal Government, please click on the buttons below.
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NOTO is a membership based organization that works hard to support the outdoor tourism industry through advocacy and information services. We do not receive Government funding for operating and rely on annual memberships from tourism businesses, organizations, product and service suppliers, and partners. For more information about membership with NOTO visit
noto.ca
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