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As many of you are aware the Ontario Government has declared a State of Emergency and new restrictions regarding COVID-19.
The Office of the Premier has stated:
"Effective Thursday, January 14, 2021at 12:01 a.m., the government is issuing a stay-at-home order requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for permitted purposes or activities, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or for work where the work cannot be done remotely." (1)
Since the first wave, Opticians have been at the Frontline of Vision Care, and we will be able to continue providing our patients with the care they need.
All of the restrictions implemented on December 27th 2020 are still in effect, however there has been one modification added in the document "Enhancing Public Health and workplace Safety Measures in the Provincewide Shutdown" issued by The Government of Ontario on January 12th, 2021.
As Opticians are both regulated healthcare professionals and retail based we do need to adhere to the new updated mandates:
Safety supply stores, businesses that sell, rent or repair assistive/mobility/medical devices, and optical stores that sell prescription eyewear to the public:
• By appointment only
• Limit the number of persons occupying any room that is open to the public in the business to not exceed 50% capacity of the particular room • Curbside pick-up and delivery permitted
• Operating hours of 7am to 8pm (2)
As VISION IS ESSENTIAL, we need to remain vigilant in our efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Make sure that you are adhering to all safety protocols within your dispensary, including hand hygiene and masking.
Be aware of the capacity limits that your dispensary might need. If you are not already following these guidelines or unsure how to calculate your capacity, please see the bullet point below.
To calculate your total capacity:
The maximum number of persons permitted in a business or facility that is operating at 50 per cent capacity is determined by taking the total square metres of floor space accessible to the public in the business or facility, not including shelving and store fixtures, dividing that number by 8 and rounding the result down to the nearest whole number. (2)
We will continue to update and support all Ontario Opticians with important information regarding COVID-19.
Sources:
1. Office of the Premier- Ontario Declares Second Provincial Emergency to Address COVID-19 Crisis and Save Lives, https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59922/ontario-declares-second-provincial-emergency-to-address-covid-19-crisis-and-save-lives
2. Government of Ontario - Enhancing Public Health and workplace Safety Measures in the Provincewide Shutdown PDF