You may be surprised to learn that The Bay on Queen Street is still open to customers.
They can walk around and shop for anything. The entire store is open to the public.
All this while smaller mom and pop shops in Toronto and Peel have been forced to offer curbside pickup and delivery only during the 28 day lockdown.
Apparently, The Bay's flagship store is considered essential.
"The health and well-being of customers and associates remain our top priority as we continue to provide the essential products and services Canadians need, in accordance with the Orders issued by the Provincial Government. At this time, while the majority of our stores in Toronto and Peel are only offering curbside pickup, the Hudson's Bay Queen Street location, which offers grocery among other essential items, remains open with strict protocols in place as outlined by the government. We have health and safety measures in place in our stores, including enhanced cleaning protocols, frequent sanitizing of high-touch areas, mandatory face coverings, physical distancing measures and capacity guidelines. Additionally, we require all associates to undergo daily health screenings when reporting for work. We remain committed to ensuring a healthy environment for all," a statement from head office reads.
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Barbara Yaffe seems to reiterate this. "If a large store is open it would be because they are serving either one of the essential services be it groceries, pharmacy products, hardware, and so on. If the whole store is open, I believe that was a decision made by the decision makers in the province not cordon off certain areas which is something that's being done in Manitoba, to my understanding."
Premier Ford argues it would be a logistical nightmare for big box stores to cordon off areas. "They have essential items spread out throughout their whole store. Then, on top of that, how do they monitor it and restrict people from going in there?"