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In total, two floors rented by the OSFI are currently vacated, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed to the National Post.

Other federal renters in that downtown Ottawa building are the House of Commons, Shared Services Canada as well as the Treasury Board Secretariat. As of Thursday morning, those offices remain occupied.

“OSFI takes seriously the need for operational resilience for itself and the institutions it oversees. During this period OSFI will continue to deliver on its mandate and work with institutions and regulatory partners to contribute to the stability of the Canadian financial system,” Toope said.

While PSPC hasn’t announced any other office closures, the department is prepared to upgrade its cleaning protocols if urged by Health Canada.

“We have not adjusted cleaning protocols as of now because public health officials have not recommended any changes. But we preparing to do so if need be,” said Cecely Roy, press secretary to the minister of public services and procurement, Anita Anand.

Photo by Christopher Nardi/National Post

One of the many changes to cleaning protocols that PSPC is considering is more frequent cleanings of employee workspaces. Shared bathroom faucets, doorknobs, counters and sinks could also get additional scrubbing and disinfecting. The same applies to kitchen in office common areas.

If necessary, special attention will also be paid to disinfecting elevator control panels as well as installing additional hand sanitization stations.

In the meantime, PSPC has asked all the managers of the buildings it occupies to install signs around each office encouraging employees to wash their hands more often, cough or sneeze into their elbow, and consult certain government websites where they can find out more information about the COVID-19 virus.

• Email: cnardi@postmedia.com | Twitter: ChrisGNardi