The Ford government plans to extend its COVID-19 state of emergency to July 15. The emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protections Act were extended earlier Wednesday for another ten days to June 30.
The previous extension was set to expire on June 19 and the state of emergency on June 30.
The motion will be debated in the Legislature next week and will be voted on afterward.
The province said the reason for the emergency orders extension is to ensure the government continues to have the necessary tools to safely, and gradually reopen the province while continuing to support frontline health care workers.
“Extending these emergency orders gives our frontline health care providers the necessary flexibility to rapidly respond to urgent needs and protect our most vulnerable,” Premier Doug Ford said in a release.
“Even though we’re seeing decreasing infection rates with increased testing levels, we can’t let our guard down just yet. We need to keep these emergency measures in place to support our frontline heroes and we must all continue following the public health advice, so we can reopen more of the province safely and gradually.”
Over the last week, the province has seen new daily cases of coronavirus drop to under 200 four times.
On Monday, Ford announced that all of Ontario, with the exception of Toronto, Peel Region, and Windsor-Essex, would move to Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plans.
This announcement allowed additional businesses and services to reopen — including hair salons, restaurant and bar patios, barbershops, and tattoo parlors.
As well, social gatherings of up to 10 people are now permitted across the province.
The government said it will continue to review current emergency orders on a case-by-case basis to determine when and if they can be adjusted safely to continue the gradual reopening of the province.