Updated COVID 19 - Business Resource Information - Plus Community Resources

Saturday, June 19, 2021

COVID-19 UPDATES

The safety and well-being of our members and community are of the utmost importance to us. We will communicate all updates to our members, and the community through email, social media posts, and updates on our website. There has been so much support from so many individuals and business in our community. We have a very supportive community and we will get through this!!!

The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce is appreciative of all of the front-line staff, first responders and health care professionals who continue to show dedication in our community. We will continue to update these pages as information becomes available.

Government of Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to providing you with the information and support you need to make informed decisions as your business navigates through these challenges; including supporting your employees.

Support to Businesses
Risk-informed decision-making guidelines for workplaces and businesses during COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions - Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers
Employment and Social Development - Benefits and Services for Individuals and In Your Workplace
Economic Response Plan:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
Canada Emergency Response Benefit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/apply-for-cerb-with-cra.html
Resources for Canadian Businesses

Calling All Suppliers - Help Canada Combat COVID-19
The Government of Canada is asking suppliers about their ability to provide products and services. See the list of items needed, and notify them if you can help out.

Update - Nov 2020

Resources from the Federal Government

CEWS Extension Details:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/11/details-on-the-canada-emergency-wage-subsidy-extension.html

Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS):

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/11/canada-emergency-rent-subsidy.html

Lockdown Support for Businesses Facing Significant Public Health Restrictions (under CERS):

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/11/lockdown-support-for-businesses-facing-significant-public-health-restrictions.html

Brief Summary of Total Support under new CEWS and CERS:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/11/rate-structures-applicable-in-periods-8-9-and-10-september-27-to-december-19-2020.html

Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)

Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses, starting on September 27, 2020, until June 2021.

This subsidy will provide payments directly to qualifying renters and property owners, without requiring the participation of landlords.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/subsidy/emergency-rent-subsidy.html

Government of Ontario

Update: Thursday June 24, 2021

TORONTO — With key public health and health care indicators continuing to improve, the provincewide vaccination rate now surpassing the targets outlined in the province’s Roadmap to Reopen, and on the recommendation of the the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is moving the province into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.

“Because of the tireless work of our health care heroes, and the record setting success of our vaccine rollout, we are able to move into Step Two ahead of schedule on June 30 with the support of our public health experts” said Premier Doug Ford. “We are proceeding safely with the re-opening of our province and will continue to work around the clock until the job is done.”

In order to enter Step Two of the Roadmap, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks, ensuring a strong level of protection against COVID-19. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Ontario’s health care partners, as of June 23, 2021, over 76 per cent of the population in Ontario ages 18 and over have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 29 per cent have received their second dose. More than 13.3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered provincewide.

Before entering Step Two, the province also needed to see continued improvement in key public health and health care indicators, including hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and the weekly cases incidence rates. After entering Step One, during the period of June 11 to 17, 2021, the provincial case rate decreased by 24.6 per cent. As of June 22, the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs is 305, including 10 patients from Manitoba, as compared to 450 two weeks ago. The province expects these positive trends to continue over the coming days before entering Step Two.

“Due to a continued improvement in key indicators, Ontario is ready to enter Step Two of our Roadmap, allowing us to safely and gradually ease public health measures while continuing to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Thank you to the Ontarians who rolled up their sleeves to help us reach this exciting milestone. Every dose administered brings us one step closer to the things we’ve missed, so please sign up to receive the vaccine when it’s your turn.”

Step Two of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities and limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn, with other restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:

Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 5 people;
Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity;
Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions;
Outdoor dining with up to 6 people per table, with exceptions for larger households and other restrictions;
Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of the particular room;
Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain 3 metres of physical distance;
Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions;
Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.

Please view the regulation for the full list of public health and workplace safety measures that need to be followed.

While the province has surpassed Step Three vaccination targets, Ontario may remain in Step Two for a period of approximately 21 days to allow the most recent vaccinations to reach their full effectiveness and to evaluate any impacts of moving to Step Two on key public health and health care indicators. When it is determined to be safe, the province will promptly move to Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen.

“Due to the continued commitment of Ontarians adhering to public health measures and going out to get vaccinated, we have seen our key health indicators continue to improve across the province,” said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “While we can now begin preparing to ease public health measures under the Roadmap, the fight against COVID-19 is not over and we must continue adhering to the public health advice and measures currently in place to maintain this great progress.”

More Information click the link below

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000399/ontario-moving-to-step-two-of-roadmap-to-reopen-on-june-30

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has released its Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures based on the provincewide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators. In response to recent improvements to these indicators, Ontario will allow more outdoor recreational amenities to reopen, with restrictions in place, effective May 22, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.

Roadmap to Reopen outlines three steps to easing public health measures, guided by the following principles:

Step One An initial focus on resuming outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower, and permitting retail with restrictions. This includes allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, outdoor dining with up to four people per table and non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity.
Step Two Further expanding outdoor activities and resuming limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, personal care services where face coverings can be worn and with capacity limits, as well as indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity.
Step Three Expanding access to indoor settings, with restrictions, including where there are larger numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn. This includes indoor sports and recreational fitness; indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, and casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits.

The province will remain in each step for at least 21 days to evaluate any impacts on key public health and health system indicators. If at the end of the 21 days, the following vaccination thresholds have been met, along with positive trends in other key public health and health system indicators, then the province will move to the next step:

Step 1: 60 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose.
Step 2: 70 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent vaccinated with two doses.
Step 3: 70 to 80 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses.

Based on current trends in key health indicators, including the provincial vaccination rate, the government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021. The province will confirm closer to the expected start of Step One.

The Press Release may be found here

Update on March 19, 2021 to dining in Red Zone

Indoor In-Person Retail:

Essential stores (supermarkets) operate at 75% capacity
Other retail - operate at 50% capacity
Passive Screening
Capacity limits MUST be publicly displayed (on store door/window)
- Print a capacity limit sheet HERE

Dining:

Capacity limits
- Indoors: the lesser of approximately 50% of indoor dining area or 50 people
- Outdoors: limited to allow physical distancing of 2 metres to be maintained
Contact information of all seated patrons required
Establishments must be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Patron screening required

Hair and Nail Salons, Personal Care Services:

Services requiring removal of face coverings prohibited
Require contact information from all patrons
Screening of patrons is required

Gyms:

Increase spacing between patrons to 3 metres in areas where there are weights or exercise equipment and in exercise and fitness classes
Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained
- 10 people in indoor areas with weights and exercise machines
- 10 people in all indoor classes or 25 people in outdoor classes
- No spectators permitted, however each person under 18 may be accompanied by one parent or guardian
Require contact information for all members of the public that enter the facility
Require reservation for entry; one reservation for teams

Update March 15, 2021

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/60339/ontario-returning-27-public-health-regions-to-strengthened-covid-19-response-framework

Feb 5, 2021

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/zones-and-restrictions

Jan 2021

Businesses: Get help with COVID-19 costs

https://www.ontario.ca/page/businesses-get-help-covid-19-costs

Ministry of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade Update - March 26, 2020
WSIB Financial Relief Package
Alcohol and Gaming Commission - Liquor Licenses sell liquor for takeout or delivery along with food - March 26, 2020
Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 - March 25, 2020
Newsroom
List of Essential Services - March 23, 2020
- Updated ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES LIST REDUCED FROM 74 to 44 CATEGORIES - April 3, 2020
  
  Following advice from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, on April 3, 2020, Ontario updated the list of essential businesses that can remain open. The restrictions are aimed at further reducing contact between people and stopping the spread of COVID-19. See the revised list here.
- Cannabis stores and most construction projects, including non-critical industrial construction have been removed from this list.
- The new essential services list will go into effective at 11:59pm on Saturday, April 4.
  - Businesses and service providers with question about closures of at-risk workplaces or how emergency measures impact their business or employment can learn more at Stop the Spread Business Information Line or call -888-444-3659.
    Help is available Monday - Sunday, from 8:30 a.m - 5 p.m.

FedDev Ontario

The Government of Canada is taking action to support tourism and other businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can take advantage of new investments and initiatives. Learn more about the support available.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Update: April 6 , 2020 The Canadian Chamber of Commerce established the Canadian Business Resilience Network to bring together its vast network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and over 100 of Canada’s leading business and industry associations, including the Business Council of Canada, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, to help the business community prepare, persevere and, ultimately, prosper as we collectively face the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 | Pandemic Preparedness for Business

Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit for Ontario Business

Leeds Grenville Economic Development - COVID - 19 Business Resources and Update

Leeds Grenville Small Business Enterprise Centre Training & Resouce's

City of Brockville - Information and Resources

United Way of Leeds & Grenville COVID 19 Resources

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)

Second Phase COVID-19 Industry Survey (deadline for completion by Monday, March 23 at 8am)
TIAO Survey 3.0 - We Need Your Input (deadline for completion by Monday, April 6) TAKE THE SURVEY

Regional Tourism Organization 9 (RTO9)

RTO9 strives to support the tourism and travel industry in the region by closely monitoring events that could cause significant challenges to the industry, including the Covid-19 virus. Visit the Tourism Talk website for more support.

News

Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan / Plan d'intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 English

French

What Canada's Regional Development Agencies are doing to help business during the COVID-19 pandemic

Business Development Bank of Canada - Support for Entrepreneurs impacted by coronavirus

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Resources for Canadian Businesses