COVID-19 Update for April 28 2021 – Ontario granting employees three paid sick days

If the Putting Workers First Act passes, all workers will have access to three paid sick days whether they have become ill with COVID-19, have to self-isolate and remain home because of close contact with the virus or who require the day off to get vaccinated.

The benefit will reimburse employers for what they pay employees up to $200 per employee per day for three days. The three days are retroactive to April 19 and will continue until September 25.

The provincial government also announced its intent to double payments Ontarians can receive from the federal sick days program. If approved, workers would receive a total of $1,000 per week for four weeks.

More about the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit can be found here.

As Ontario hospitals continue to grapple with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government has temporarily adjusted an emergency order allowing for the relocation of some critical care patients.

This new measure will only be used in the event of a “surge event” at strained hospitals. The patients being relocated will only be done in the event a doctor is satisfied they are able to receive the appropriate level of care at the new facility and will not compromise patient health.

You can learn more about this measure here.

Section 22 Business Closures

Since the City of Toronto and Region of Peel have implemented new regulations under Section 22 that allow for business closures for businesses with more than five positive COVID cases within 14 days, nearly 20 companies have faced full or partial closures.

Peel Region Public Health has ordered partial closures at eight businesses, including two Amazon fulfillment centres, one shift at the Canada Post Gateway and a Canadian Tire Distribution Centre. In Toronto, Toronto Public Health has ordered four full and seven partial closures, including a McDonald’s restaurant in North York, a car dealership and a butcher shop.