The following directive is from the Ontario Government website:
As a temporary measure the Ontario government revised the list of essential businesses. The updated list will direct additional businesses to close, and directs specified businesses to provide services by alternate methods such as curb side pick up and delivery, except in exceptional circumstances. This includes stores that sell hardware products, vehicle parts and supplies, pet and animal supplies, office supplies and computer products and repairs and safety supplies.
Only critical construction projects will continue, including industrial projects such as refineries and petrochemical plants and infrastructure projects such as new hospitals, roads and bridges. New starts in residential projects will stop, while residential construction that is near completion will continue.
All businesses not on the updated list will be required to close as of 11:59 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2020.
See full list here.
Based on this information, our member businesses cannot be open except to:
• Deliver Product
• Provide curbside pick-up
We would also encourage physical distancing within your business for employees and when interacting with customers and only provide debit/credit transactions for deliveries and curbside pick-up. This will be a significant adjustment to how you operate your business but we fully endorse the effort of the provincial government to contain the spread of this virus. Each one of you have to adapt to your market and ability to make the changes.
Recognizing the challenge to remain open, we encourage you to make yourself familiar with the assistance programs available from the federal government for businesses and their employees.