TORONTO – The Ontario government will impose hefty fines on those caught reselling personal protective equipment provided by the government for free as part of a broader package of laws whose purpose is to “safely manage Covid-19 long-haul”. The regulation is part of a larger legislative package – the “plan to stay open” – that the government is working on. 

The updated rules would make it illegal to resell or “offer to resell” any personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the government, including rapid antigen tests, masks, gloves and hand sanitizer.

According to well-informed sources who have spoken to Cp24, fines will go up to a maximum of $20,000 for a single offender and up to $250,000 for companies.

Other highlights include an investment of $81 million spread over two years to expand a program that will provide full tuition reimbursement to up to 2,500 nurses per year if they commit to working in a disadvantaged Ontario community for at least two years. The legislation will also make permanent the salary increase granted to personal care support workers in October 2020 and remove bureaucracy for overseas-trained health workers who wish to practice in Ontario.

In addition, the legislation would make it mandatory for Ontario to have a “provincial emergency management plan, reviewed and amended at least every five years, that is publicly available.” “There have been significant and long-standing gaps in Ontario’s health care and pandemic preparedness, gaps that should never have left so many people vulnerable for a long time. But I am proud that our government has made considerable progress in filling these long-standing shortcomings,” Treasury Board Chairman Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria said at a press conference to outline the plan.

Many of the initiatives outlined in Ontario’s “reopening plan” were previously announced by the Ford government, including a commitment to significantly increase the capacity of hospitals.

The real novelty is the fines to individuals and companies that resell free PPE distributed by the government.

The dizzying increase in demand for Covid-19 rapid antigen tests amid the increase in cases fueled by Omicron, last December pushed the government to crack down on personal protective equipment retailers.

During the holiday season, rapid antigen tests that were distributed in shopping malls and LCBO stores were snapped up. In many cases at the end of the day there was no longer a single kit available.

It was after receiving complaints about selling rapid tests online at exorbitant prices that Government and Community Services Minister Ross Romano announced that the province would commit to “identifying, tracing and sanctioning” retailers.

The ministry said it had received more than 500 complaints from consumers about the resale of rapid tests since mid-December.

Meanwhile, a similar program in which rapid antigen tests are distributed free of charge to families through pharmacies is expected to end around April 8.