UPDATE: Health Unit Issues Strong Recommendations for Additional COVID-19 Protective Measures

COVID-19, Municipal Issues

Today, the Medical Officer of Health issued legally enforceable instructions to businesses and organizations, further rolling back the clock to reinstate work-from-home requirements.  In ADDITION to those measures announced earlier today, the Medical Officer of Health has issued strong recommendations for all workplaces. It is strongly recommended that all workplaces within the Public Health Sudbury & Districts service area…

Sudbury Health Unit Issues Work-From-Home Instructions

COVID-19, Municipal Issues

Today, the Medical Officer of Health is reinstating work-from-home requirements, revoked by the province on July 15, 2021, issuing strong recommendations for COVID-19 protections to area schools, businesses, and organizations, and enacting stricter measures for the follow up of contacts of cases of COVID-19. Effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, November 29, 2021, the updated Letter of Instructions will…

Local Health Unit Releases Additional, Mandatory Measures

COVID-19, Municipal Issues

Today, the Public Health Sudbury and Districts released additional, mandatory measures for Greater Sudbury. These time-limited measures come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, for Greater Sudbury only. The Letter of Instruction issued today will require for Greater Sudbury: Reinstatement of capacity limits and physical distancing requirements at premises that require proof of…

Province Releases Plan to Reopen Ontario

COVID-19

Today, the Government of Ontario released “A Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario and Manage COVID-19 for the Long-Term”, which outlines the province’s gradual approach to lifting remaining public health and workplace safety measures by March 2022. In the absence of concerning trends, public health and workplace safety measures will be lifted on the following dates: October 25, 2021 Ontario…

Letter to the Premier Re: Vaccine Passport Verification Costs

Advocacy Snapshot, Chamber Publications, COVID-19, Featured, Latest Issues, Opinion Editorials & Letters, Provinicial Issues

Today, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford sharing our membership’s concerns regarding the costs associated with vaccine passport verification. The chamber indicated that many businesses have operated under reduced capacity for a significant period of time and, with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine certificate requirements, have had to…

Enhanced COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate with QR Code and Verify Ontario App

COVID-19

Today, the Government of Ontario launched the enhanced vaccine certificate with official QR code, and Verify Ontario, the official mobile application for businesses to scan COVID-19 proof of vaccination at entry.  Enhanced vaccine certificates with official QR codes will be made available for download from the COVID-19 vaccination portal over three days based on birth month: – October 15, 12:00 a.m. to…

Updates from PHSD and the Province

COVID-19

Increased Access to Rapid Antigen Screening for Students On October 5, the Government of Ontario announced that it is improving access to local targeted COVID-19 rapid antigen screening by making it available for students through participating public health units where risk of transmission is high.  The program will support access to voluntary, rapid asymptomatic screening…

Mandatory Vaccination for Federally Regulated Transportation Sector

COVID-19

Vaccine requirements for employees in the federally regulated transportation sector Today, the federal announced that as of October 30, employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors will be required to establish vaccination policies for their organizations. Specifically, the vaccination requirement will apply to: – Airlines and airports, and other organizations who…

COVID-19: Skills Development Fund

COVID-19

On September 28, the Ontario government announced an investment of additional $83 million towards the Skills Development Fund. This brings the total investment to over $200 million. The eligibility has been expanded and organizations eligible for funding include employment service and training providers, labour, community, business and industry organizations, municipalities, hospitals, Indigenous Band offices, Indigenous skills and…

COVID-19: Updates from the Government of Ontario

COVID-19

Ontario Tourism Recovery Program On September 27, the Province announced that it is investing investing $100 million through the new Tourism Recovery Program to help stabilize the province’s tourism industry as it recovers from the impacts of COVID-19.  The program will help for-profit tourism businesses in the attraction, accommodation, and leisure travel sectors protect critical jobs…