Following a March 21, 2020 Order made pursuant to Ontario's
Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which
applies to health service providers (including hospitals and
psychiatric facilities), hospitals are now required and authorized
to take any reasonably necessary measures with respect to work
deployment and staffing to respond to, prevent and alleviate the
outbreak of COVID-19.
The Order allows hospitals to employ extra temporary
contractors. It further allows hospitals to require and collect
information from contractors about their availability to provide
services and about their likely or actual exposure to the
coronavirus, or any other health conditions that may affect their
ability to provide services.