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It’s a noticeably different Black Friday this year in the GTA as severe restrictions are in place amid a second wave of the novel coronavirus.
The hustle and bustle that typically occurs on the biggest shopping day of the year is not visible today as many people avoid in-store shopping and stay home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
And some shoppers simply cannot access their favorite brick-and-mortar stores in person as Toronto and the Peel region are currently on a provincial lockdown for at least 28 days.
The two hotspots entered the gray blockade level of the province’s new COVID-19 response framework on Monday in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Lockdown restrictions include shutting down non-essential businesses, including many small businesses and malls, during the lucrative holiday season.
However, department stores, such as Walmart and Cost, which sell essential items like groceries and medicines, can remain open during the lockdown.
Although public health officials are urging residents to stay home as much as possible, shoppers were seen queuing outside Walmart’s Toronto locations Friday morning to get their hands on some of the store’s best Black Friday deals.
Mayor John Tory urged residents and shops to avoid Black Friday sales to avoid crowds and reduce the spread of the virus.
It has also encouraged residents to shop online and support small businesses that are taking a hit during the pandemic.
“Nothing against department stores, they are what they are, but I think this is a way we can help smaller, independent stores by shopping online from them, many of them have an online presence and doing curbside pickup, and we you’re trying to make it a lot easier, ”Tory told CP24 on Friday morning.
The owner of Early Bird & Worm in the Roncesvalles areas of Toronto told CP24 that he is providing customers with a variety of purchase options so his business can stay afloat during the lockdown.
“This is the second block and we are trying to execute as many orders as possible to help the community, carrying out orders by email, telephone orders. We are doing local deliveries after my kids have gone to sleep at night just to try to make ends meet, “he said.
Roncesvalles BIA representative Adam Langley said most of the neighborhood’s small businesses are trying to cope with the restrictions and urged residents to remember to shop locally.
“One of our mantras has been that you can shop locally, even if it’s online, so many of our businesses during the first wave have focused on online shopping and those that don’t yet offer services,” Langley told CP24. .
“I think entrepreneurs are ready to fight for the business. They are inside and waiting for your news and want to give you what you need for the holiday season.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Peel Regional Council passed a motion asking the province to immediately examine ways to address the inequality between businesses forced to close and those allowed to remain open during the lockdown.
The motion, however, does not limit the sale of non-essential items in department stores that Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie had previously supported.
“Although the original text of the motion has been changed, I am pleased that the intent has remained – to support small businesses,” Crombie said in a statement released Thursday. “What is important to me is that we have achieved consensus and presented a united front in defense of our small business community.”
On Thursday, the Peel region recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day with 572 new infections, while Toronto recorded 356 cases.
The province recorded more than 1,800 new cases and another 20 deaths on Friday.
Unblocked GTA areas ask residents to stay in their region
With limited options for in-store Black Friday shopping in Toronto and Peel, officials in the neighboring York region, which is in the red control layer under the COVID-19 Provincial Response Framework, are concerned that many shoppers may rush into area to try and capture a deal.
In the control category, non-essential businesses, including shopping malls, can remain open with certain restrictions.
On Friday morning, people were seen lining up outside the Vaughan Mills Mall before it opened at 8am
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua asks people to stay at home and avoid shopping unless they have to collect basic necessities.
“We must continue to focus on the defeat of COVID-19 and its transmission. When people get up in the morning, the question they have to ask themselves is what can I do to reduce COVID-19 transmission, “Bevilacqua told CP24.
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti echoes Bevilacqua’s remarks and asks people not to travel outside their regions to access in-store purchases elsewhere.
He also warned that police officers patrol the city this weekend to ensure businesses and residents abide by the rules.
“We will be out there. There is a coordinated effort this weekend between the Department of Labor, our law officers and even the York Regional Police when everyone needs to be called, ”Scarpitti told CP24.
Scarpitti added that Costco and T&T in Markham were recently accused of overcrowding in their stores. He said fines could range from $ 5,000 per day for an operator to $ 25,000 per day for a company.
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