{"id":248943,"date":"2020-03-18T20:08:17","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T00:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=248943"},"modified":"2020-03-18T20:08:17","modified_gmt":"2020-03-19T00:08:17","slug":"why-the-feds-arent-closing-the-door-on-non-essential-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2020\/03\/18\/why-the-feds-arent-closing-the-door-on-non-essential-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the feds aren’t closing the door on non-essential businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Businesses need more federal direction to avoid confusion, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday. (Pexels photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OTTAWA \u2014 While\u00a0Canada’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak has taken off drastically in the last week, some have found it lopsided across the country.<\/p>\n

In Ontario and Alberta, dine-in restaurants and bars are closed by provincial decree, while Quebec has shut down bars but ordered restaurants to limit the number of customers.<\/p>\n

Other provinces have made no such order.<\/p>\n

Even in a single city like Ottawa, there’s variation between which businesses have stayed open and which have shuttered to the public.<\/p>\n

Businesses need more federal direction to avoid confusion, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things businesses are looking for is more coherence,\u201d said Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n

Right now in\u00a0Canada, the Public Health Agency of\u00a0Canada\u00a0and federal health minister provide advice to the provinces, but each province and territory is ultimately responsible for making its own decisions.<\/p>\n

Beatty said the situation can be particularly vexing for companies that operate across jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs rate of infection is growing, the same rules increasingly should apply across the board,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For some, without specific advice from the federal government, it can be a difficult financial proposition to voluntarily shut their doors, he said.<\/p>\n

Federal authorities say that have been co-ordinating with provincial counterparts, but that local context is important.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe very much recognize … that there are specific conditions in specific cities, specific provinces,\u201d said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s why we have public health officers also at the provincial and the city level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The provinces’ decisions about whether to close non-essential businesses comes down to the reality on the ground, including the number of cases of COVID-19 in the region and whether the area is seeing community transmission.<\/p>\n

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said it may also come down to a particular health system’s ability to deal with an outbreak. A weaker health system may take a more cautious approach, for example, she said.<\/p>\n

Beatty suggested a national message might still be more helpful, even if it leaves room for exceptions. At least then the information would be coming from one source, he explained.<\/p>\n

He did complement the federal government though on its open lines of communication with the business community.<\/p>\n

And to some extent, he said it will be up to businesses to do the right thing for their customers and employees.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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