Additional businesses get green light

Province to allow more businesses to reopen May 4, including garden centres and auto dealerships

THE PROVINCE IS allowing a number of additional businesses to resume operations starting May 4, including garden centres, lawn care and maintenance companies and auto dealerships.

The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford at Queen’s Park on Friday afternoon.

“Based on our framework, based on our robust health and safety guidelines, it is clear that right now there are certain businesses and workplaces that can operate safely, Ford said.  “That means they can physically distance their staff and customers, they can put in physical barriers, they can provide contact-free services or they work outside and are isolated.”

The province has also expanded the list of essential construction work, which now includes municipal projects, colleges and universities, childcare centres and schools.

Golf courses and marinas will be permitted to “prepare for the upcoming season” but cannot yet open to the public.

Ford said the list of new businesses that can open was developed in consultation with Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.

The province previously said it would restart Ontario’s economy in three stages, allowing more businesses to reopen at each phase of the process. Each stage is expected to last for between two and four weeks.

Ford said the plan, which is short on specifics, is more of “a road map” than “a calendar.”

The list of businesses that can reopen on May 4 includes:

• Garden centres and nurseries with curbside pick-up and delivery only;
• Lawn care and landscaping;
• Additional essential construction
• Automatic and self-serve car washes;
• Auto dealerships, open by appointment only;
• Golf courses may prepare their courses for the upcoming season, but not open to the public.
• Marinas may also begin preparations for the recreational boating season by servicing boats and other watercraft and placing boats in the water, but not open to the public. Boats and watercraft must be secured to a dock in the marina until public access is allowed.