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COVID-19 Updates | Daily Workplace Round Up for May 14, 2020

COVID-19 Resources for Small Business
Sarah Visca | May 14, 2020

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Below are the key announcements from the Federal, Ontario, and Alberta governments that touch on workplace issues for May 14, 2020. 

Federal

$100 Million Agriculture and Food Business Solutions Fund

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of Farm Credit Canada (FCC), has announced the launch of a $100 million Agriculture and Food Business Solutions Fund. The funds primary goal is to return recipient companies to a sound financial footing after dealing with unexpected business disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund:

  • supports a wide range of enterprises in the agribusiness and agri-food sector, including companies involved in primary production, agri-tech, manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
  • helps companies in times of need through innovative solutions such as convertible debt investments and other flexible financing solutions.
  • assesses applications individually on their merit, and will be supported to a maximum of $10 million. To qualify, companies need to demonstrate an impact from an unexpected business disruption, such as the loss of a key supplier, temporary loss of a facility or permanent loss of critical staff or leadership.

For more information, check out this news release.

Parks Canada & Environment and Climate Change Canada will Gradually Resume Operations Beginning June 1

Starting June 1, 2020, the Government of Canada will gradually resume some operations at certain national parks, national historic sites, historic waterways, and national marine conservation areas. This will include access to some trails, day use areas, and green spaces, and some access for recreational boating, as well as the gradual resumption of some key field-based ecological and cultural resource protection activities.

Some quick facts:

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada will also gradually resume some operations at selected national wildlife areas, including conservation activities and day use access for visitors on June 1, 2020.
  • Until June 1, suspensions of visitor services and closures of facilities announced in March remain in place.
  • All camping facilities remain closed until at least June 21, 2020, while Parks Canada assesses whether and how these services might resume.
  • Group activities and public events will be prohibited until further notice.

For more information, check out this news release and backgrounder. 

Ontario

Retailers, Seasonal Businesses and Health & Community Service Providers Permitted to Open on May 19

As soon as 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2020:

  • Golf courses will be able to open, with clubhouses open only for washrooms and restaurants open only for take-out.
  • Marinas, boat clubs and public boat launches may open for recreational use.
  • Private parks and campgrounds may open to enable preparation for the season and to allow access for trailers and recreational vehicles whose owners have a full season contract.
  • Businesses that board animals, such as stables, may allow boarders to visit, care for or ride their animal.

Assuming trends in key public health indicators continue to improve, Ontario's first stage of reopening will begin on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. and will include:

  • Retail services that are not in shopping malls and have separate street-front entrances with measures in place that can enable physical distancing, such as limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time and booking appointments beforehand or on the spot.
  • Seasonal businesses and recreational activities for individual or single competitors, including training and sport competitions conducted by a recognized national or provincial sport organization. This includes indoor and outdoor non-team sport competitions that can be played while maintaining physical distancing and without spectators, such as tennis, track and field and horse racing.
  • Animal services, specifically pet care services, such as grooming and training, and regular veterinary appointments.
  • Indoor and outdoor household services that can follow public health guidelines, such as housekeepers, cooks, cleaning and maintenance.
  • Lifting essential workplace limits on construction.

Some helpful resources: 

For more information, check out this news release.

Additional $2.25 Million Invested in Farm Workers Health & Safety

Last week the governments of Canada and Ontario invested up to $2.25 million to help provincially-licensed meat processors implement COVID-19 health and safety measures.

Today, they announced an additional $2.25 million investment to help farmers better protect employees and ensure the continued supply of healthy food products for consumers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the federal and provincial governments are launching this second intake of the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program to help farmers enhance health and safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

The funding will be used for initiatives like purchasing personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, and redesigning workstations.

For more information, check out this news release. 

Alberta

Stage 1 of Alberta's Relaunch Strategy Begins Today 

The following businesses can start to resume operations today (May 14), in all areas except the cities of Calgary and Brooks; in Calgary and Brooks, the relaunch will be gradual over 18 days (those marked with * can open in Calgary/Brooks today).

  • Retail businesses, such as clothing, furniture and bookstores; all vendors at farmers markets will also be able to operate*

  • Museums and art galleries*

  • Daycares and out-of-school care with limits on occupancy*

  • Hairstyling and barbershops

  • Cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars will be permitted to reopen for table service only at 50 per cent capacity

  • Day camps, including summer school, will be permitted with limits on occupancy (in Calgary/Brooks, these will be permitted on June 1)

  • Post-secondary institutions will continue to deliver courses; however, there will be more flexibility to include in-person delivery once the existing health order prohibiting in-person classes is lifted

  • Places of worship and funeral services, if they follow specific guidance already online

  • The resumption of some scheduled, non-urgent surgeries will continue gradually*

  • Regulated health professions are permitted to offer services as long as they continue to follow approved guidelines set by their professional colleges*

Remote work is advised wherever possible, and travel outside the province is not recommended.

Albertans are encouraged to download the ABTraceTogether mobile contact tracing app and use it when in public.

Workplace guidance and supports are available for businesses and non-profits affected by COVID-19 begin to reopen and resume operations safely.

For more information, including what is still not permitted in stage 1, check out this news release. 

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Sarah Visca
Sarah Visca is the Operations Manager at ConnectsUs HR, a company that provides tools & resources to quickly set up a Human Resources department.  
You can contact her here. 

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