Premier Doug Ford's declared Ontario's third COVID-19-related provincial emergency - and issuing a provincewide stay-at-home order.
Taking effect at midnight tonight and lasting at least 28 days, the order requires all Ontarians stay home except for essential purposes such as grocery shopping, accessing healthcare services - including COVID-19 vaccination - work that can't be done remotely, or exercise close to home with only those from one's household.
It also limits "non-essential" retailers to curbside pickup and delivery - with big-box retailers limited to selling "essential" items like groceries, household supplies, pharmacy items, and personal care items - while safety supply stores, optical stores, telecommunication retailers, and businesses selling motor vehicles, boat and other watercraft, vehicle repair and rental services are limited to appointment-only with 25% capacity, and garden centres and nurseries will be limited to 25% capacity.
Schools and childcare can remain open if allowed by their local public health unit - Toronto and Peel have ordered their schools to switch to virtual learning - and the emergency declaration also halts residential evictions.
This comes less than a week after the government implemented a provincewide "emergency brake", though the move was criticized as not enough, with the province's doctors, nurses, and hospital associations calling for a stay-at-home order instead.