Toronto cracks down on workplace COVID-19 outbreaks, ordering closures

The City of Toronto will force the closure of workplaces where COVID-19 outbreaks have been identified.

On Tuesday, the City said Toronto Public Health was issuing a Section 22 order to close workplaces where five or more COVID-19 cases are identified within a 14-day period.

The closures will last for a minimum of 10 days.

Saying that outbreaks are “increasingly linked to workplaces” the City said in a release that the order “is a necessary tool to break the chains of transmission…”

Order details (Source: City of Toronto):

• The Order is planned to require the closure of certain workplaces, or portions of workplaces, where five or more confirmed cases are identified within a 14-day period and where cases could reasonably have been acquired through infection in the workplace.

• The workplace closure will be in effect for a minimum period of 10 calendar days.

• During this time, workers at the affected workplace will be required to self-isolate.

• Certain workplaces, such as health care facilities, schools, child care centres, and workplaces providing critical services may be exempt from full closure requirements.

“This Section 22 order is meant to help slam the brakes on workplace outbreaks that we know are moving much faster due to the variants of concern,” Mayor John Tory said in a release. “I urge all employers to follow the public health advice to stop outbreaks and protect their employees including against the financial consequences of illness.”

Earlier Tuesday, Peel Public Health said it was issuing the same order for workplaces in the region.