State of emergency in effect. Stay at home except for essential travel and follow the restrictions and public health measures. We are currently updating our pages to reflect the new provincial measures. City updates how Province’s stay-at-home measures will impact some in-person services and facilities.
New:
- Outdoor Recreation Amenity Class Order Section 22
- Posters – Outdoor Recreation Amenity Class Order Section 22
- Letter of Instructions (LOI) issued by Dr. Vera Etches (pdf - 204 KB)
- LOI summary English/French, English/العربية (Arabic)
- This letter outlines public health measures intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These instructions are additional to measures under current Provincial legislation and focuses on workplace safety, physical distancing, masking, and capacity limits. The instructions in the LOI are effective December 23, 2020 at 12:01 AM.
- FAQ – Section 22 Class Order January 8, 2021
For information on regulatory restrictions in place for the regions of Ontario and the City of Ottawa, please see the Government of Ontario COVID-19 response framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open and the City of Ottawa Provincial and City Rules.
For each zone in the Ontario COVID-19 response framework, there are different public health and workplace safety measures for businesses and organizations. More information on what each zone means regarding the provincial restrictions.
On this page:
- Adapting your business for COVID-19 – Requirements for Employers
- Being COVID Wise
- All essential COVID Wise signage and resources
- Resources for employees and training
- Sector specific guidance and resources
Adapting your business for COVID-19
Plan for the potential impact of COVID-19 in your workplace by considering the following actions:
- Identify possible work-related exposure and health risks to your employees and how to reduce these risks.
- Prepare for possible increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees and their family members and/or dismissals of early childhood programs and schools.
- Explore the flexibility of policies and practices, such as teleworking arrangements, flexible hours, staggering start times, use of email and teleconferencing.
- Establish a process for ongoing communication with employees and business partners.
- Develop a contingency and business continuity plan
Develop your COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan – new requirement as of Nov 2020
This safety plan must:
- Describe measures/procedures that have been or will be implemented in the business, place, facility or establishment to reduce spread of COVID-19.
- Include measures for screening, physical distancing, masks, cleaning, disinfecting and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Be in writing and made available to any person for review on request.
- Be posted in a visible place to come to the attention of those working or attending the location.
What do I do if my employee is being tested for COVID-19 OR being told to self-isolate by Ottawa Public Health? |
Unless OPH has contacted you with specific instructions, you are not required to take any additional action at this time.
Your employee who is waiting for test results will be instructed to self-isolate at home and should not go to work. Your employee may provide you with a general sick note prepared by OPH for individuals needing to self-isolate at home. Please respect this public health guidance as we continue to contain spread of the virus locally. The length of your employee’s self-isolation period*will vary depending upon their level of risk, refer to the OPH Tested, What Now? handout. Some examples include whether they:
*Self-isolation requirements for residents of Ottawa may differ from those in other health units. Health care workers have different criteria for discontinuing self-isolation. For more information about discontinuing self-isolation in these and other scenarios, please review the Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 Order for Self-Isolation and Tested for COVID-19. |
What are my responsibilities if one of my employees tests positive for COVID-19? |
As an employer, OPH recommends that you:
Your employee who tested positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by Ottawa Public Health. They will be asked to identify anyone with whom they had close contact during the time from 2 days (48 hours) before they developed symptoms until they started self-isolation. OPH will connect with the high-risk contacts (someone exposed to a person diagnosed with COVID-19) of the individual who tested positive. OPH staff will also guide your employee through their self-isolation period. Public Health staff will determine if the individual posed any additional risk to the workplace than what exists in the general community and take action from there. Public Health will only disclose a positive case to an employer if it is necessary to manage the exposure risk to others. If you receive questions from your employees, please refer them to novel coronavirus COVID-19 webpage for more information. |
Resources:
- COVID-19 Service Provider Reopening Plan Template & Checklist
- Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace and sector specific guidance
- COVID-19.ontario.ca
- Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework and corresponding regulations: O. Reg. 82/20, (Lockdown), O. Reg. 263/20 (Red-Control), and O. Reg. 364/20 (Green-Prevent, Yellow-Protect, and Orange-Restrict) provides the provincially legislated standards that all groups are held to.
- Develop your COVID-19 workplace safety plan - Government of Ontario
Being COVID Wise
Being COVID Wise is how we will be able to resume economic and social activities while COVID-19 is still in our community. Information and resources for businesses are available to help meet current regulations and adapt your workplace to be COVID Wise. As a workplace and business, being COVID Wise will help keep both customers and employees safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you so much for your hard work and efforts to help keep our community healthy!
In a workplace setting, being COVID Wise means:
- Posting signage to remind everyone about physical distancing and wearing a mask
- Following the mandatory mask bylaw
- Ensuring employees wear a mask whenever they cannot maintain 2 metre distance (including in break rooms and non-public spaces)
- Encouraging customers wear a mask in outdoor settings if they cannot maintain 2 metre distance
- Screening all employees for symptoms of COVID-19 before each shift and ensuring they stay home if they have symptoms or feel unwell
- Changing processes and/or using visible markers to ensure 2 metre physical distancing
- Reminding employees and customers to maintain physical distance of 2 metres (six feet) at all times, and as much as possible
- Providing hand sanitizer or hand washing stations for customers and employees
- Employees are informed/trained on the importance of all these measures
Wear a mask
In a workplace setting, being COVID Wise about masks means:
- Following the Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law
- Ottawa Public Health - Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law: Summary for businesses and employers (pdf - 219 KB)
- Ensuring employees wear a mask whenever they cannot maintain 2 metre distance (including in break rooms and non-public spaces)
- Encouraging customers wear a mask in outdoor settings if they cannot maintain 2 metre distance
- Posting signage to remind everyone about wearing a mask.
Visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Masks for more information.
Isolate yourself when you're sick
To ensure employees are well and fit for work:
- Employees should complete a health-screening questionnaire before each work shift.
- Do not permit employees to come to work if they have symptoms of COVID-19.
- If employees develop symptoms while at work, they should notify their supervisor and return home. If symptoms are life-threatening, call 9-1-1.
- Employees with symptoms should visit our COVID-19 webpage for the latest guidance on next steps to take. There is currently no requirement for an asymptomatic employee to be tested before starting work.
- Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and follow the Self-Isolation Instructions for Novel Coronavirus to reduce the spread.
- The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB); may be available to employees who may not have sick leave but must stay home from work when sick.
- Employees who are caregivers to loved ones sick from COVID-19 and must self-isolate themselves may be able to access the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB).
Encourage customers to do their own health assessment and prevent entry into your establishment if they have symptoms by posting signage at your entrance.
Encourage your customers and employees to download the COVID Alert app today to protect themselves and others. The app can let people know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear.
Stay two metres (six feet) apart from others
Develop a physical distancing plan. Think about how you will maintain distance between customers and employees. Post directional signage to support your plan throughout your business and at the entrance.
- Post signage to remind customers and employees about physical distancing.
- Some businesses may have gathering restrictions that are limited to the number of people that can maintain 2 metre physical distance. Refer to Ontario.ca - What each zone means for more information.
- Considerations for Capacity Limits (pdf - 199 KB)
- Offer delivery or curbside pick-up if possible. Consult the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services Guidance on Health and Safety for Curbside Pickup and Delivery Services during COVID-19.
Exercise proper hand hygiene
- Display posters promoting hand-washing and respiratory hygiene
- Businesses are required to make alcohol-based hand rub available at all entrances and exits as part of the Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law.
- Follow Public Health Ontario cleaning guidance to keep workplaces clean and hygienic. Increase frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces such as elevator buttons, door handles keyboards, mouse, phones, desks, computers, seating areas, lunch tables, kitchens, washrooms, etc.
All essential COVID Wise signage and resources
Required:
- Multilingual Mask Required Poster
- Practice physical distancing Poster - English and French
- Customers COVID-19 Screening Poster
Additional resources to promote public health measures:
- COVID Wise Together 11 x 17 poster
- COVID Wise Together 8.5 x 11 poster
- COVID Wise Together Digital image for your website and social media
- Outdoor masks recommended 11"x"17" poster
- Outdoor masks recommended 8.5"x"11" poster
- Outdoor masks recommended sandwich board 2'x3'
- Practice physical distancing Poster - English (pdf - 3 MB)
- Hand washing poster and factsheet - English
- Hand sanitizing poster - English and French
Additional resources are available on our multilingual web page.
Posters – Outdoor Recreation Amenity Class Order Section 22
- Maximum Capacity (pdf - 419 KB)
- Maximum Capacity & On-line Reservation (pdf - 534 KB)
- Maximum Capacity & On-line Reservation Lansdowne/BFP (pdf - 539 KB)
- Sledding Hill Capacity (pdf - 450 KB)
- No Sticks/Pucks (pdf - 56 KB)
- No Sports Permitted (pdf - 533 KB)
Resources for employees and training
In a workplace setting, being COVID Wise means employees are informed on the importance of and how to implement all health and safety measures.
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety- Online course for employees: Returning to Work Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Managing Through COVID-19: How to Support Your Employees’ Mental Health
- Mental health resources for employees
Sector specific guidance and resources
The City of Ottawa along with the Province of Ontario have been placed into the GREY/LOCKDOWN category of the Ontario COVID-19 response framework; keeping Ontario safe effective on December 26, 2020 at 12:01 am as per the temporary Provincewide Shutdown (ontario.ca). The table below provides information on the guidelines for the various sectors and further details can be found in Ontario Regulation 82/20.
If your business is affected by the provincial shutdown, the Government of Ontario has programs and supports available to help your business recover. To learn more about these programs, visit the Government of Ontario website.
COVID-19 Update
Contact Information
Ottawa Public Health COVID-19 telephone line
- Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm
- Weekends, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Translation is available in multiple languages
- Telephone: 613-580-6744 follow the prompts to the COVID-19 telephone line
- TTY: 613-580-9656
Emergency Services
- If you are in distress (e.g., significant trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, or have a significant worsening of any chronic disease symptoms), do not go to the Assessment Centre or a COVID-19 Care clinic. Go to the nearest Emergency Department or call 9-1-1.
See someone not respecting COVID-19 rules?
- Learn more about COVID-19 rules.
- Telephone: 3-1-1
How to access help during COVID-19
- 211 Ontario can help you find financial and social support during COVID-19
- Telephone: 2-1-1
Related Information
- Latest news and data
- Symptoms, testing and vaccine
- Frequently asked questions
- Staying safe, support and resources
- Schools, workplaces and professionals
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