TORONTO -- The Ontario government is extending all of its emergency measures enacted due to COVID-19 for an additional two weeks in its bid to slow the spread of the disease.

The declarations made under the province’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, first issued March 17, were until now set to end Thursday.

The measures extended include the closure of all non-essential businesses, schools, bans on gatherings of groups of five or more, ending time of use electricity pricing, limiting work assignments in long-term care homes and a raft of other measures.

“We are making steady progress in our battle against this deadly virus, but we are not out of the woods by a long shot. It is absolutely necessary to extend these emergency orders to continue keeping all Ontarians safe and healthy," Ford said in a statement on Thursday.

The province has also enacted a new law to help mental healthcare providers and addiction treatment centres continue to provide service during the pandemic.

It would allow them to add temporary staff or contractors, as well as redeploy existing staff.

Public schools were to remain closed until May 4, but Thursday's extension makes no specific mention of them.