(Toronto – June 2, 2021) – Today, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), released the following statement as Ontario’s declaration of emergency and Stay-at-Home Order were set to expire today.  

“With the stay-at-home order originally set to expire today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber Network are calling for more targeted support for businesses. Small businesses across the province are at their breaking point and the extended restrictions are another blow.

“Recovery is in sight for the province with daily case counts dropping and over half of adult Ontarians having received their first shot. We need to ensure our small businesses are supported to make it through to the other side of the crisis. We call on the Province to do everything it can to support affected businesses, including addressing the shortcomings of the Small Business Support Grant and opening up applications for a third round.

“Looking ahead, in the ongoing management of this crisis, we also ask government to consider alternative methods of addressing the possibility of future outbreaks while avoiding the economic damage of locking down the province as a whole. For instance, if case counts rise in a particular region, a new framework could specify measures to reduce individual contacts and outline capacity restrictions for public-facing businesses in that region. This approach must ultimately be science-based and informed by public health officials. In addition, reopening guidelines should be applied fairly and consistently to all businesses regardless of sector or establishment size.

“The Ontario Chamber Network passed a resolution last month calling on the Province to establish a Responsible Business Protocol, parts of which are echoed within this statement. The protocol aims to simplify understanding of rules by sector, address community contact reduction and most importantly, minimize damage to our economy while fighting the spread of COVID-19.”

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Michelle Eaton
VP, Public Affairs
[email protected] | Mobile: (647) 261-4594