Coronavirus resources for workplaces

Requirements for Stay-At-Home Order

• Campsites must be made available only for trailers and recreational vehicles that are:
• used by individuals who are in need of housing
• permitted to be there by the terms of a full-season contract
• Only campsites with electricity, water services and facilities for sewage disposal may be provided
• All recreational facilities in the campground and other shared facilities in the campground, other than washrooms and showers, must be closed
• Other areas of the campground must be closed to the general public (they may only be opened for preparing the seasonal campground for reopening)
• Do not travel outside your region or the province unless absolutely necessary.
• Allows travelling to another residence of the individual if,
• The individual intends to be at the residence for less than 24 hours and is attending for one of the purposes set out in this order, or
• The individual intends to reside at the residence for at least 14 days.

Access to Seasonal Campgrounds

• Seasonal campgrounds are permitted to open for trailers and recreational vehicles that:
  • are used by individuals in need of housing
  • permitted to be there by the terms of a full season contract
  • no recreational overnight camping is allowed
• Campers who are not in need of permanent housing, but allowed under the full season contract, are required:
  • to either visit their site for no more than 24 hours for an essential purpose, or
  • for a minimum of 14 consecutive days.
• Campers may not travel back and forth from home and trailer and they may leave their trailer for essential purposes only
• seasonal trailers must have access to hydro, water, and sewage disposal.
• all recreational facilities in the campground and all other shared facilities in the campground, other than washrooms and showers, must be closed
• other areas of the campground must be closed to the general public (may only be opened for preparing the seasonal campground for reopening).
• Gathering Limits and Health and Safety protocols will remain in place.

Business Specific Guidance

• Must comply with the advice, recommendations and instructions of public health officials including:
  • Physical distancing
  • Cleaning or disinfecting
  • Working remotely
• must not permit patrons to line up inside, or to line up or congregate outside unless they:
  • Maintain a physical distance of at lease two meters from others
  • Wear a mask for face covering (with some exceptions)
• Must actively screen employees before starting each shift
  • COVID-19 worker and employee screening
• Must implement passive screening for patrons by posting signs at all entrances informing people to screen themselves for COVID-19 before entry.
  • Businesses and customers may use the COVID-19 customer screening tool to meet this requirement
• Must ensure that equipment, washrooms, locker rooms, change rooms and showers that are accessible to the public are cleaned and disinfected as frequently as is necessary to maintain a sanitary condition.
• Must ensure that patrons and workers wear masks or face coverings indoors, with limited exceptions.
• Workers must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects their eyes, nose and mouth, if in the course of providing services they are:
• required to come within 2 metres of another person who is not wearing a mask or face covering
• in an indoor area and are not separated by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier
• Must prepare and make available a COVID-19 safety plan. A copy of the plan must be made available to any person for review upon request and be posted where it would come to the attention of individuals working in or attending the business.

Seasonal Campers Specific Guidance

• Do not travel outside your region or the province unless absolutely necessary
• Traveling to another residence of the individual is permitted if;
  • The individual intends to be at the residence for less than 24 hours for an essential purpose
  • The individual intends to reside at the residence for at least 14 days
• Everyone must maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from others (except for caregivers or other members of their household) in a place of business or facility that is open to the public. If this physical distance can not be maintained it is recommended that you wear a face mask
• Everyone must wear a mask or face covering that covers their mouth, nose and chin in indoor public spaces (with limited exceptions).
• Visitors must adhere to Provincial guidelines, restrictions and public health measures.

Owners/operators of child care centres can consult our resources for child care centres page for our guidance document that supports – but does not replace – the advice, guidelines, recommendations, directives or other direction of provincial Ministries. For more details information and operational guidance during COVID-19, read the Ministry of Education’s Operational Guidance During COVID-19 Outbreak Child Care Reopening.

Owners/operators of summer camps can consult the Summer Camp Guidance Document for information that supports – but does not replace – the advice, guidelines, recommendations, directives or other direction of provincial Ministries. For more details information and operational guidance during COVID-19, read the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Guidance: Summer Day Camps.

Child care centres should continue to monitor for new guidance from the Ministry of Education or Ministry of Health related to child care centres.

For more details visit the Coronavirus resources for schools and child care centres page.

Effective Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario is moving to a province-wide shutdown. All indoor and outdoor sports and recreational fitness facilities must close, except for:

• Facilities operated for the sole use of high performance athletes, i.e.; athletes training or competing to be a part of Team Canada at the next summer or winter Olympic Games or Paralympic Games, that are identified by a national sport organization that is either funded by Sport Canada or recognized by the Canadian Olympic Committee or the Canadian Paralympic Committee or specified professional leagues (e.g., NHL, CFL, MLS, NBA)
• Facilities opened solely for specified purposes (e.g. child care)
• Community centres and multi-purpose facilities (e.g. YMCA) allowed to be open for permitted activities (e.g. child care services, mental health and addiction support services [limited to 10 people maximum], social services)
• All subject to conditions

Continue to check the Province-wide shutdown webpage and O.Reg 82/20: Rules for Areas in Stage 1 for more updates.

Effective Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario will be under a Province-wide shutdown. At this time, restaurants must shut down all dine-in services:

• Only take out, drive though and delivery are permitted, this includes the sale of alcohol.
• Patrons ordering or picking up food must be physically distanced at least 2meters/6 feet from other people.   
• Patrons must wear a mask or face covering as per the Regional Face Covering  By-Law and O.Reg 82/20

Further details can be found on the Ontario’s COVID-19 Shutdown webpage. 

Additional Resources:

• O. Reg 82/20: Rules for Areas in Stage 1
• Restaurant and Food Services Health and Safety During COVID-19 (Ministry of Labour)
• Resources to Prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace (Ministry of Labour)
• Restaurant and Food Service: Guidance for Health and Safety (Ministry of Labour)
• Worker and Employee Screening Tool (Ministry of Health)
• COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms (Ministry of Health)
• COVID-19 self-assessment tool (Ontario Health West)
• Hard surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers COVID-19 (Health Canada) 
• Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace (Ministry of Health)
• Restaurant and food services health and safety during COVID-19 (Ministry of Health) 
• Physical Barriers for COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control in Commercial Settings (National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health) 

Review COVID-19 guidelines for mobile food premises and temporary food vendors.

• Resources to Prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace (Ministry of Labour)
• Restaurant and Food Service: Guidance for Health and Safety (Ministry of Labour)

Effective Saturday, April 3 at 12:01am, Ontario is moving to a province-wide shutdown. This means no indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household (the people you live with). Individuals who live alone and single parents may consider having exclusive, close contact with one other household to help reduce the negative impacts of social isolation.

No outdoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household, or one other person from outside that household who lives alone, or a caregiver for any member of the household.

Limits for religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services (but not gatherings associated with these services), in all venues, where physical distancing can be maintained:

• No more than 10 people, whether indoors or outdoors

Drive-in services for the purposes of a wedding, funeral, religious service, rite or ceremony are permitted as long as:

• Each person attending the gathering, other than the person performing the service, remain within a vehicle that is designed to be closed to the elements (except to use the washroom or for purposes of health and safety)
• The driver of the vehicle must ensure that it is positioned at least two metres away from other vehicles

Receptions are not permitted indoors or outdoors unless with members of the same household (the people you live with) or with one other person from outside of the household that lives alone.

Further details can be found on the COVID-19 Shutdown webpage.

Effective Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario will be under a Province-wide shutdown. All personal-service settings must close at this time. Further details can be found on the COVID-19 Shutdown webpage.

Religious services, rites, ceremonies and related celebrations must comply with the Reopening Ontario Act. Further details can be found on Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework webpage. 

Effective Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario will be under a Province-wide shutdown. All indoor and outdoor swimming pools, outdoor splash pads, wading pools, and other recreational spaces such as whirlpools/spas must close at this time. Further details can be found on the COVID-19 Shutdown webpage.

1. The testing lab notifies the responsible public health unit of each positive case of COVID-19.

2.  Public Health staff then follow-up with the individual case to:

• let the person know that they tested positive and to answer any questions they may have
• advise them of the need to self-isolate for a specified period of time
• try to determine how they may have been exposed to COVID-19
• determine the places they went while infectious (e.g. to work or public places) and who their close contacts were. If close contacts are identified, Public Health will contact them and anyone else who we may need to speak with to assess risk to others (e.g. their employer)

3. With guidance from Public Health, workplaces will identify and follow-up with close contacts. Close contacts are required to self-isolate for 14 days following the last exposure to the positive case. 

There is now community spread of COVID-19 in the Region of Waterloo, so all interactions should be treated as a potential risk of exposure. If a person was at work while infectious, Public Health staff will determine if they posed any additional risk to the workplace than what exists in the general community.

Please Note: not all cases result in exposures. A transient interaction (e.g., walking past someone who tested positive) does not pose an increased risk.  There is also no increased risk of exposure if the person was not at work while infectious.  

Public Health will consult with the employer if additional information is needed about the individual (e.g., to confirm their close contacts or to clarify details that the employee cannot provide) or if any other measures need to be taken by the workplace or staff to reduce the risk of transmission.

It is important to note that Public Health:

• is required by law to respect the privacy of the person infected
• will only disclose a positive case to an employer if it is needed to manage the exposure risk to others

Screening should occur before or when a worker enters the workplace at the beginning of their day or shift, or when an essential visitor arrives. At minimum, the questions in the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Screening Tools for Workplaces should be used to screen individuals for COVID-19 before they are allowed entry into the workplace.

If an employee fails the screening, they should be advised they should not enter the workplace (including any outdoor, or partially outdoor, workplaces). They should go home to self-isolate immediately and contact their health care provider or Telehealth Ontario (1 866-797-0000) to find out if they need a COVID-19 test.

Public Health will notify a workplace and provide support when a confirmed case attended a workplace while infectious and there was a high risk exposure to COVID-19 to others.

Public Health will not notify workplaces that a confirmed case attended the workplace when Public Health identifies a high risk exposure to COVID-19 did not occur and there is not an increased risk to employees and patrons.