Along with this notice, the Premier announced that the Phase II vaccination strategy will be ramped up as planned, with emphasis on COVID-19 ‘hot spots’ and identifying vulnerable and essential professions, such as those in the education system. A significant ramp-up of vaccinations is expected over the next 28 days with the goal of 40 per cent of Ontarians getting vaccinated by the end of the stay-at-home order.

The full details involving the 28-day stay-at-home order can be read here: Highlights pertaining directly to OTA members include:

• Limiting the majority of non-essential retailers to only operate for curbside pick-up and delivery, via appointment, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with delivery of goods to patrons permitted between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and other restrictions;
• Permitting the following stores to operate for in-person retail by appointment only and subject to a 25 per cent capacity limit and restricting allowable hours of operation to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. with the delivery of goods to patrons permitted between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.: (i) Rental and leasing services including automobile, commercial and light industrial machinery and equipment rental (ii);  businesses that sell motor vehicles, boats and other watercraft; (iii) Vehicle and equipment repair and essential maintenance and vehicle and equipment rental services.

The trucking industry, including warehouse workers, are included in the Provincial Phase II vaccination strategy. An emphasis on increased vaccination distribution has also been placed on hot spot locations, which were identified in March as: Durham Region Health Department; Halton Region Public Health; City of Hamilton Public Health Services; Niagara Region Public Health; Ottawa Public Health; Peel Public Health; ;Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit; Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services; Wellington-Dufferin Guelph Public Health; Windsor-Essex County Health Unit; York Region Public Health; Toronto Public Health; and, Southwestern Public Health.

OTA will be reaching out to all Chief Medical Officers of Health in these hot spots to encourage them to work with the association to streamline the distribution of the vaccine to the trucking industry during Phase II. OTA has also encouraged the Province to consider mobile options for vaccine distribution for the industry.

References:

https://ontruck.org/ontario-announces-stay-at-home-order-phase-ii-of-vaccination-strategy/