Canada's Largest Province To Shut All Non-Essential Workplaces Amid Virus Crisis - Premier

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2020) The Canadian province of Ontario will close all non-essential workplaces amid the expanding novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday.

"Today I'm ordering the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces in the province of Ontario," Ford said in a press briefing. "This order will be effective Tuesday, March the 24th."

The order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. EST (4:00 pm. GMT) tomorrow and will last for 14 days.

The premier said that tomorrow's deadline will allow non-essential businesses to adjust to the new reality and prepare for the impending closure, and that the province is prepared to extend the measure if necessary.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged residents to heed public health advice and stay home amid the COVID-19 outbreak following a growing number of reports of individuals not following the advice of public health officials to practice social distancing.

As of Monday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada has reached 1,474 while the death toll now stands at 20. Eight provinces have declared either a state of emergency or a state of public health emergency as Canada struggles to contain the spread of the disease.