Vital updates:
- The Government of Ontario’s survey on the economic impacts of COVID-19 will be open until August 31st. We encourage all businesses to complete the survey; an accurate picture of how COVID-19 is affecting Ontario’s businesses will help the government form policy tools that will better assist those businesses in their recovery.
- Niagara enters Stage 3 of the provincial re-opening framework tomorrow. The Government of Ontario wants to hear from businesses that either cannot open in Stage 3 or are having difficulty in re-opening. If your business falls into either category, please fill out this form and let the government know. Remember that no business is obliged to open; if you cannot do so safely, you are under no legal requirement to re-open. Remote work is still encouraged wherever possible in Stage 3, and even with the re-opening, the Government of Ontario asks that all people able to work from home continue to do so.
- The Ontario government is providing the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) with $110,000 from the Ontario Together Fund to deliver online tools and resources that will support Indigenous businesses as the province implements its made-in-Ontario plan for renewal, growth, and economic recovery. The funding provided through the Ontario Together Fund will help the CCAB:
- Enhance CCAB’s online resource platform, Tools and Financing for Aboriginal Businesses, that provides practical guides, training, networks, and a forum to connect and share best practices.
- Assist Indigenous businesses navigate various COVID-19 programs, services and procurement opportunities available through webinars and web-based assistance.
- Produce a data-driven report to assess the effects of COVID-19 within the Indigenous business community.
Reading recommendations:
- Pledge to end systemic racism at Canadian companies picks up steam, Yeji Jesse Lee & Christine Dobby, The Globe and Mail
- How to Brainstorm — Remotely, Art Markman, Harvard Business Review
- What If Working From Home Goes on … Forever? Clive Thompson, The New York Times
If you are showing symptoms, you must self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days. Call a public health authority immediately. Do not visit any healthcare provider in person before you have been directly advised to by public health authorities.
Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.
It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, use a face mask. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Previous updates can be accessed here.
Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
