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Many shoppers are flocking to stores to stock up this weekend before Toronto and the Peel region enter a lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Since Friday evening, lineups have formed outside the department stores, including one outside Walmart in Eglinton and Pharmacy in Scarborough.
Saturday morning, another Walmart on Jane St. and St. Clair Avenue had customers waiting anxiously in line to grab their necessities before closing.
People are rushing to stores this weekend before the two COVID-19 hotspots go into lockdown at 12:01 AM on Monday for at least 28 days.
Many shoppers appear to be panicking by buying and stocking up on items like toilet paper, similar to what was seen during the blockade of the first wave of the pandemic in the spring.
In anticipation of higher volumes of shoppers, some malls extend their opening hours this weekend.
Square One Shopping Center will be open from 10:00 to 21:00, while Yorkdale Mall and Scarborough Town Center will be open from 11:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford announced that Toronto and Peel would move from the red “restriction” zone to the fifth and final gray “block” level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework as cases continue to rise in those regions. .
“The situation is extremely serious and further action is needed to avoid the worst case scenario,” Ford said during the announcement yesterday from Queen’s Park. “We cannot risk classroom learning, we cannot risk widespread epidemics in our long-term care homes, we cannot risk overwhelming our hospitals. To protect our most vulnerable and protect what matters most, we need to keep the community in check. “
Below the “lockdown” level, all gyms, recreational facilities and personal care services will be forced to close, while limiting all non-essential retail stores to curbside pickup only.
Essential retailers that can remain open include supermarkets, hardware stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, and beer and liquor stores, but all will now face a 50% capacity limit. Schools and nurseries can also remain open.
It should be noted that department stores, such as Walmart, that provide groceries and other essential services will be able to remain open.
Bars and restaurants are allowed to continue take-out and delivery services but must close their courtyards.
On Saturday, the province recorded a record 1,588 new COVID-19 infections, 522 of those cases were in Peel and 450 in Toronto.
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