The Government of Ontario recently introduced
Bill 218, Supporting
Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act, 2020
(“Bill 218”). If enacted in its current form,
Bill 218 will offer liability protection for businesses that make
an honest effort to follow public health guidelines and laws
regarding exposure to COVID-19. The legislation would apply
retroactively to COVID-19 exposures that occurred from March 17,
2020 onward and could require the dismissal of some ongoing
actions.
Scope of Liability Protection
Bill 218 seeks to provide protection against COVID-19 related
liability for any person, including “any individual,
corporation or other entity”. Subsection 2(1) provides:
