Vital updates:

• Some regions in Ontario will move to Stage 3 of the provincial re-opening framework on Friday, July 17, 2020. The list does not include Niagara. The Ontario government announced nearly all businesses and public spaces will reopen in Stage 3 of the province’s reopening framework with public health and workplace safety measures and restrictions in place. Decisions on which regions will enter Stage 3 and when will be made in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts and based on trends of key public health indicators. As part of the Stage 3 reopening, Ontario will be increasing gathering limits for those regions entering the next stage to the following:
  • Indoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 50 people;
  • Outdoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 100 people;
  • Gathering limits are subject to physical distancing requirements.
• Regions remaining in Stage 2 will maintain the existing gathering limit of 10. Social circles in all stages at this point will also be kept to a maximum of 10 people province-wide, regardless of stage.
• the following, high-risk places and activities are not yet safe to open, even if a region has entered Stage 3, due to the likelihood of large crowds congregating, difficulties with physical distancing, or challenges maintaining the proper cleaning and sanitation required to prevent the spread of COVID‑19:
  • Amusement parks and water parks;
  • Buffet-style food services;
  • Dancing at restaurants and bars, other than by performers hired by the establishment following specific requirements;
  • Overnight stays at camps for children;
  • Private karaoke rooms;
  • Prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports;
  • Saunas, steam rooms, bath houses and oxygen bars;
  • Table games at casinos and gaming establishments.
• The government invites businesses not able to open or resume full activities due to Stage 3 restrictions to visit Ontario.ca/reopen to submit a reopening proposal. For questions on restrictions that will remain in place during Stage 3, review the Stage 3 Emergency Order on the emergency information portal or call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659.
• The Ontario government has launched a website to provide businesses with information on personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers. The Workplace PPE Supplier Directory has an up-to-date list of Ontario companies and business associations that are ready to supply PPE.
• The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program, which covers 75% of wages for eligible employees, will be extended until December of this year. As of July 6, the wage subsidy had paid out $18.01 billion to 252,370 companies. The rules of the program may be changed, but in his announcement, the Prime Minister gave no details if how and when that might happen.

Reading recommendations:

• Strapped for cash? How to uncover unclaimed money that may belong to you, Sophia Harris, CBC News
• A New Understanding of Herd Immunity, James Hamblin, The Atlantic
• What the Dutch can teach the world about remote work, Katie Bishop, BBC