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BREAKING: Premier Doug Ford announces 4 week provincewide state of emergency and stay-at-home order

By 90.5 myFM News staff Apr 7, 2021 | 3:06 PM

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has issued a stay-at-home order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The newly announced measures will go into effect just after midnight tonight and last 4-weeks.

Ford says with a few exceptions the stay-at-home order will be similar to what we saw this year.

Non-essential retail go back to curbside pick-up and delivery from 6am to 9pm

Big box stores will be allowed to remain open but are restricted to only sell essential items. Residential evictions will also be suspended.

In addition, the province is also strengthening public health and workplace safety measures for nonessential retail under the provincewide emergency brake. Measures include, but are not limited to: 

• Limiting the majority of non-essential retailers to only operate for curbside pick-up and delivery between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with delivery of goods to patrons permitted between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and other restrictions;
• Restricting access to shopping malls to limited specified purposes, including access for curbside pick-up and delivery, via appointment, with one single designated location inside the shopping mall, and any number of designated locations outside the shopping mall, along with other restrictions;
• Restricting discount and big box stores in-person retail sales to groceries, household cleaning supplies, pharmacy items (pharmaceutical, health care and personal care items, and pet care supplies) only;
• Permitting the following stores to operate for in-person retail by appointment only and subject to a 25 per cent capacity limit and restricting allowable hours of operation to 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.:
 o Safety supply stores; o Businesses that primarily sell, rent or repair assistive devices, aids or supplies, mobility devices, aids or supplies or medical devices, aids or supplies;
o Rental and leasing services including automobile, commercial and light industrial machinery and equipment rental;
o Optical stores that sell prescription eyewear to the public;
 o Businesses that sell motor vehicles, boats and other watercraft; o Vehicle and equipment repair and essential maintenance and vehicle and equipment rental services; and
o Retail stores operated by a telecommunications provider or service, which may only permit members of the public to enter the premises to purchase a cellphone or for repairs or technical support. •
Permitting outdoor garden centres and plant nurseries, and indoor greenhouses that engage in sales to the public, to operate with a 25 per cent capacity limit and a restriction on hours of operation.
EDUCATION
Education Keeping schools and child care open is critical to the mental health and well-being of Ontario children and youth.
Schools and child care will remain open for in-person care and learning in public health regions where it is permitted, with strict safety measures in place. 
In addition, beginning during the April break, education workers who provide direct daily support to students with special education needs across the province, and all education workers in high-risk neighbourhoods in Toronto and Peel, will be eligible for vaccination.
VACCINES
Daily COVID-19 case counts in the province have been near or above the 3,000 mark for almost a week.

Over 2.7 million vaccines have been administered in Ontario with 1.5 million appointments booked.

Ford says the reality is despite everything we’ve done so far, the situation is getting worse in Ontario. He says hospitals are reaching capacity and patients in the GTA are being sent to other parts of the province for care.

Ford hopes to have 40% of adults vaccinated by the end of the 4-week stay at home order.

FULL DETAILS: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/61029/ontario-enacts-provincial-emergency-and-stay-at-home-order

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