While every jurisdiction in Ontario is in Stage 3, some orders issued by the government to control the COVID-19 pandemic are being extended to September 22.
Last month, the government passed the Reopening Ontario Act, which allowed it to extend some measures once the provincial Declaration of Emergency came to an end.
New orders are not allowed under the legislation. However, it allows amendments for ones already in place. The provincial government also has the power to extend orders for a year without legislative approval.
The extensions allow the government to be flexible in its response to the pandemic and protect vulnerable populations from the virus, including seniors, those with developmental disabilities, and those with mental health and addiction issues.
There are some exemptions to the extension. For example, the order to keep schools closed will end on August 31.
"We must continue safely and gradually down the path to recovery while tackling the ongoing effects of this pandemic," said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. "We're conducting an ongoing review and assessment of all orders to determine if they are necessary and will relax restrictions or lift orders when it is safe to do so."
Among the extended orders are the restrictions on work redeployment for health service providers like long-term care homes, price gouging, and temporary pandemic pay.
Restaurants are allowed to have no more than 50 people inside their establishments, but buffets are still prohibited. Outdoor gatherings must be limited to just 100 people, and businesses must continue to maintain social distancing and cleaning measures under the extended orders.
The full list of orders under Stage Three is on the Ontario government's website.
