Capacity Limit Changes for Some Events in Grey-Lockdown, Phase 1 COVID Vaccination Plan for Frontline Emergency Personnel & new COVID Board Testing Orders - March 17, 2021

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Office of the Minister

777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 2J3

March 17, 2021

MEMORANDUM TO: Municipal Chief Administrative Officers and Clerks

SUBJECT: Capacity Limit Changes for Some Events in Grey-Lockdown, Phase 1 COVID Vaccination Plan for Frontline Emergency Personnel & new COVID Border Testing Orders

Today I am writing to you to share a range of updates relevant to municipalities from recent memoranda from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

As public health officials review the case data across the province related to COVID-19, public health units may move from time to time into different zones of the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act. Please remember to check the most current public health measures and advice to ensure you have the most updated information related to your communities.

Based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the province has adjusted capacity limits for weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites or ceremonies held in regions currently in the Grey-Lockdown level of the Framework. Effective Monday, March 15, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., these noted events are permitted to allow for up to 15 per cent total occupancy indoors or up to 50 people outdoors. For more details on these changes to capacity limits, please reference the news release from March 12, 2021.

Additionally, front-line personnel who provide direct health care services, including response to triaged medical emergency calls where there is an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19, are included in Phase 1 of the province’s vaccination roll-out. This includes paramedics, front-line police officers, and fire fighters who respond to medical calls for service and provide emergency assistance such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the administration of Naloxone. For more details on the vaccination plan for emergency responders, please review the enclosed memorandum

sent to all Chiefs of Police by the Ministry of the Solicitor General on February 26, 2021 and the Province of Ontario’s vaccination distribution implementation plan. I understand that the Office of the Fire Marshal is also communicating similar information to the Fire Chiefs in Ontario.

I also wanted to share an update from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) about new orders under the Quarantine Act related to land and air border testing and enhanced requirements for travelers. For more details on border measures for land and air, along with the enforcement approach, please review the enclosed memorandum sent to all Chiefs of Police by the Ministry of the Solicitor General on March 11, 2021 and the attached PHAC resource document.

Finally, please see the enclosed memoranda sent to all Chiefs of Police and Fire Chiefs from the Ministry of the Solicitor General dated March 12, 2021 and March 16, 2021 where police and fire services are being encouraged to consult with their respective municipalities to identify critical COVID-19 related operating pressures for policing and fire services that may be addressed through the 2021 Provincial COVID-19 Relief Funding initiative.

Thank you, once again, for your continued efforts to help keep our communities safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Kate Manson-Smith
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

 

Enclosure: Correspondence from the Ministry of the Solicitor General to all Chiefs of Police dated February 26, 2021 – English version regarding Phase 1 COVID-19 Vaccinations for Frontline Police Officers.

Correspondence from the Ministry of the Solicitor General to all Chiefs of Police dated March 11, 2021 – English version regarding New COVID Border Testing Orders under the Quarantine Act.

Correspondence from the Ministry of the Solicitor General to all Chiefs of Police dated March 12, 2021 and to all Fire Chiefs dated March 16, 2021 - English version regarding 2021 COVID-19 Relief Funding for Municipalities.