With calls mounting for the provincial government to shut down residential construction sites in Toronto, Ontario has... extended the number of hours they're allowed to operate?

Yup.

Ontario just announced that work on all construction projects deemed essential may now be performed 24 hours a day.

"Work on new hospital builds, expansions, and COVID-19 assessment centres will be able to continue any time of the night or day in order to help accelerate the construction of these important projects and enable employers to take additional steps to protect the health and safety of workers on these job sites," reads a government press release issued Wednesday.

"Ontario will temporarily limit local noise bylaws from applying to these types of essential construction activities beginning April 7, 2020."

Ontario is helping construction workers practice social distancing by enabling longer hours for essential construction sites. Important projects like hospitals and medical facilities can be built 24/7 and other projects have extended hours. #OntarioSpirit pic.twitter.com/OlIYMm7Ymg

— Greg Rickford (@GregRickford) April 8, 2020

The release states that the move is meant to expedite construction on key facilities, such as new hospital builds, expansions, temporary COVID-19 response units and COVID-19 assessment centres — as well as other projects.

"Extending hours for essential construction will also give worksite managers more flexibility to stagger shifts, limit the number of people in one place, and take reasonable precautions to keep workers safe and healthy under the recent guidelines issued by Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer for construction sites," it states.

"Essential" construction projects are allowed to operate 24/7 as of yesterday but, while the release champions work on key faciities, it does not provide any exceptions.

Under Ford's "closure of places of non-essential business" order, all residential projects with necessary permits can continue on amid the pandemic — as long as the work was started prior to April 4, 2020.

It remains to be seen how many Toronto developers will take advantage of the new rules and send out construction crews at night.

People who live anywhere near an under-construction condo building (or five) will surely let everyone on Twitter know.