I am writing to you as President of the Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada (PHTCC) to clarify an update we released last Friday regarding the Ontario “essential businesses” list.
In light of the Premier of Ontario’s latest information on the tightening and further restrictions on the Ontario Essentials Business list, we continue to recommend that no new construction projects be started.
However, the new “essential businesses” list does state that some “Residential Construction Projects” may be completed as stated here:
Residential construction projects where:
i. a footing permit has been granted for single-family, semi-detached and townhomes
ii. an above grade structural permit has been granted for condominiums, mixed use and other buildings, or
iii. the project involves renovations to residential properties and construction work was started before April 4, 2020.
Construction and maintenance activities necessary to temporarily close construction sites that have paused or are not active and to ensure ongoing public safety.
The Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada’s guidance to Ontario members is therefore restated as follows: All pool construction projects that were started before April 4, 2020, may be completed, however, there should be no new pool constructions until further notice by order of the government of Ontario.
We feel the latest revised “essentials businesses” list also addresses the maintenance and servicing of existing pools (Pool & Spa Openings) at this point. The PHTCC’s guidance is that opening and servicing pools and spas is still permitted.
Service technicians are to travel alone to deliver services and to not engage in-person with the property owner and practice appropriate hand sanitization. Retailers have made accommodations to service customers with curbside pick-up, ship-to-home and other best practices in social distancing.
Health, safety and the need to flatten the curve is at the forefront of these decisions and we need to do what we can as a community to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
For the full updated list of Ontario “Essential Businesses” please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces
Crystal Lengua
President,
Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada
5775 Atlantic Drive, Suite 17, Mississauga, Ontario
www.poolcouncil.ca – www.PHTCCcovid19.ca
