The use of face coverings in all public indoor settings is mandated across the province, applicable to businesses, facilities and workplaces, with limited exemptions, including corrections and developmental services.

The province also recommends that face coverings be used for indoor and/or outdoor gatherings if you can’t safely distance from others.

For work environments that are clearly separated from public spaces, the Section 21 Health and Safety guidelines outlines the recommendations for the use of face coverings at work, click here for more information.

The Ontario Film Commission is working closely with liaisons across the province to ensure production activity proceeds fluidly. Regional and municipal film offices have taken a collaborative and active approach to COVID-19 and have developed processes that will provide a safe return to work and location filming. Please visit the Ontario Production Guide for a complete listing of our 80 regional film liaisons.

Yes, foreign workers are eligible for Ontario’s vaccination program. COVID-19 vaccinations are offered free of charge to all individuals who live, work, go to school or plan an extended visit beyond 16 weeks to ensure they can get their second appointment in the Province of Ontario.

Pharmacies do have a process in place to support bookings for those who do not have a health card- this information is shared in this public document with all the pharmacies: Executive Officer Notice: Administration of Publicly Funded COVID-19 Vaccines in Ontario Pharmacies – Billing (gov.on.ca). Pages 5 – 7 specify that Ontario health cards are not required. If a patient does not have a valid Ontario health card number, a pharmacist can still administer the publicly funded COVID-19 vaccine, provided that the patient provides an alternate identification confirming their name and date of birth.

The Section 21 Health and Safety Guidelines were published on Thursday June 25^th 2020. Film and television productions are required to ensure workplaces are safe; that cast, crew and communities are protected; and that physical distancing is maintained as much as possible. Following extensive industry consultation, Ontario’s Health and Safety guidelines have been released by the Ministry of Labour, Training & Skills Development (MLTSD).

The guidelines were created by the Section 21 Film and Television Health and Safety Advisory Committee, a public and private advisory body to MLTSD, pursuant to Section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The committee advises on Safety Guidelines for the Film and Television Industry in Ontario which are meant to assist employers/producers, supervisors and cast and crew in the industry in determining ways to best comply with their obligations as set out under the OHSA.

Committee representatives include experienced advisors, both domestic and foreign, from all aspects of the motion picture industry. The committee is comprised of unions, guilds, producers associations and municipal and provincial government representatives representing film, television and commercial production. These entities have worked hand-in-hand with MLTSD throughout the drafting process.

The guidelines offer non-prescriptive and scalable protocols, providing productions of any size with a foundation for safe return to work protocols. The guidelines contain general and department specific recommendations and resources. Each production will need to determine their own specific implementation plan and have this in places of employment.

The guidelines have been hosted on www.filmsafety.ca. For general COVID-19 compliance questions, please contact Ontario’s Health and Safety Contact Centre at webOHS@ontario.ca.

Full document available here (updated January 25, 2021): FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING COVID-19 (PDF)

Departmental Guidance

1. Buying
2. Camera
3. Construction
4. Food
5. Hair/Makeup/Wardrobe
6. Locations and Studios
7. Performers
8. Post-Production, Animation and Post-Production VFX
9. Production Offices
10. Technicians (General)
11. Transportation

Yes, free rapid antigen test kits are available for film and television companies who qualify using Ontario’s Provincial Antigen Screening Program. The COVID-19 Testing for Organizations page provides information on how to apply for rapid antigen test kits. This page will help you determine eligibility for free test kits and provide all of the necessary guidance on how to order tests and set up a screening clinic on-site. Select “Check your eligibility and apply” and answer the questions. Film companies must choose “Industry or private sector” and then select “Culture” to qualify.

Small and medium sized organizations can also access free rapid antigen tests through a participating Chamber of Commerce, the Creative Destruction Labs’ Rapid Screening Consortium, or through local pharmacies, though a handling fee may be charged for tests acquired through pharmacies.

It should be noted that rapid antigen testing should not be used as a tool for people to return to work who could otherwise work from home, and does not replace other measures required to control the spread of COVID-19 (such as symptom screening, physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand hygiene).

For more information please visit ontario.ca/testingonsite.

The Province of Ontario has compiled a comprehensive list of Personal Protective Equipment suppliers and sanitation services from across the Province. This information can be found on Ontario Together. Ontario’s 1600+ production services can also be found on the Ontario Production Guide.

The Ministry of Health has allowed licensed private community laboratory providers to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Film and television productions who wish to arrange their own private testing regime should contact a private, licensed clinical laboratory authorized to perform this testing. Please see this letter of approval for more details.

The following laboratories are licensed for private testing:

Community Lab	Contact Information
Alpha Laboratories Inc.	gerard.kennedy@alphalaboratories.ca
LifeLabs	Charles.Brown@lifelabs.com
Dynacare	McCulloughL@dynacare.ca

COVID-19 testing in Ontario must be performed in a laboratory licensed under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act (LSCCLA). The LSCCLA governs both specimen collection and laboratory testing.

Licensing and accreditation are both necessary to ensure laboratories and collection centres are operating in a quality and competent manner according to international standards. This ensures results are accurate and reliable and the testing process is safe to the public.

Certain regulated health professionals (physicians, in this case) may collect a specimen or conduct a test without being licensed as a specimen collection centre or a laboratory because they are exempt from the licensing requirements of the LSCCLA. The oversight of these activities undertaken by a regulated health professional would be with their respective regulatory colleges (e.g. CPSO for physicians).

COVID-19 is a disease of public health significance and it is imperative that local public health units receive reports of positive test results.  Currently, specimens collected for testing (COVID-19 or other) can be sent out of province or out of country for testing.

Specimens must be collected by a licensed specimen collection centre in Ontario, or by a health professional authorized to collect specimens without a licence under the LSCCLA.  The specimens are then sent to a licensed Ontario laboratory, which may send the specimens out of country for processing.

The licensed Ontario laboratory is responsible for meeting necessary legislative and regulatory requirements under the LSCCLA, Health Protection and Promotion Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, and all other applicable legislation.

Certain regulated health professionals (physicians, in this case) may collect a specimen or send it out of province or out of country for testing. In this scenario, the physician is responsible for meeting necessary legislative and regulatory requirements listed above.

The Province of Ontario does not have travel restrictions in place within the Province.

Travellers within Canada may encounter restrictions trying to enter certain provinces. In all instances travellers will be subject to a health check prior to boarding any domestic flights. For up-to-date information on Domestic and International travel restrictions, please click here. There are currently no quarantine protocols for travellers entering Ontario from other provinces.

Workers in the film and television industry who apply for their Canadian work permit online from abroad are now eligible for priority processing (14-day service) if they self-identify as part of the film and television industry. Please visit the link below for more information about the measures in place for the Film and Television industry, eligibility criteria and guidelines.

Measures in place for foreign nationals in the film and television industry

Processing of all cultural media tax credits (OPSTC, OFTTC, OCASE, OIDMTC, OBPTC) is continuing as usual.  Please continue to monitor the Online Application Portal for updates and questions on your file from your analyst. More information about Ontario’s Film and Television tax credit programs can be found here.

Ontario Creates has developed a Tax Credit Calculation tool that will help you estimate your potential tax credit for the OFTTC and OPSTC. Check out these new tools by following the links below:

Ontario Production Services Tax Credit Calculation Tool
Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Calculation Tool

• File reviews will not be held up if the administration fee has not yet been received. As cheques cannot be processed at this time, applicants are requested to register for e-payment here: electronic payment.
• Where electronic payment is not possible and file reviews are complete, Certificates of Eligibility will be issued subject to applicants acknowledging, in writing, their obligation to pay the outstanding administration fee. Subsequent applications (submitted after return to normal business) from the company and their associated companies will not be processed until the outstanding administration fees are paid.
• Refunds of tax credit administration fees will only be available by electronic payment.
• Certificates cannot be picked up at this time.  Applicants and CRA will be notified electronically when certificates are issued, including the certificate number for reference.  Physical certificates will be available upon return to normal business.
• Applicants are asked to upload video/sample production content for film and television credits or the digital version of a book for the OBPTC, instead of providing physical copies where it is an eligibility requirement.  Where this is not possible because of size restrictions (limit of 35-40MB), certificates will not be withheld; the content should be delivered upon return to normal business.
• Where possible, Tax Credit business processes have been temporarily modified to streamline reviews and fast-track certifications.
• The Canada Revenue Agency has also implemented strategies to expedite the review of Film & Media tax credit applications which have been certified by Ontario Creates.
• General Tax Credit enquiries should be sent to taxcredits@ontariocreates.ca

Programs for Film Fund, IDM Fund, Book Fund, Magazine Fund, Export Fund, Industry Development Program, and the Business Intelligence Program will proceed as usual. For more details on specific program dates and/or changes, please visit the relevant program pages for your sector at Ontariocreates.ca.

Flexibility on delivery dates will be provided where events, projects or initiatives must be postponed due to COVID-19. In all cases, please contact your Ontario Creates program consultant to discuss the specifics of your circumstances and contract deliverables.  Flexibility and leniency will be provided to the extent possible.