EOHU extends business restrictions

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By Nick Seebruch
EOHU extends business restrictions
A stock image of groceries.

UPDATE: The health unit amended their new orders late on Thursday night. They have relaxed the requirement on grocery stores to have an employee police the store’s parking lot, and businesses offering drive thru service or curbside pick-up are now allowed to accept cash if debit or credit is not possible.

CORNWALL, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) has issued new orders under Section 22 of the Health and Promotion Act to further restrict the operations of some essential businesses to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses such as restaurants that provide delivery, or curbside pick-up must now only accept credit or debit cards, no cash.

The same orders require restaurants and businesses offering similar services to have no contact between employees and customers. Businesses must also ensure that customers are notified that only one person should come to pick-up any order, and that they must remain in their vehicle until they are served.

These measures also apply to any business offering drive-thru services.

The EOHU also released a new order for grocery stores, which are much the same as the previous order issued on April 3, with the exception that now any grocery or big box store employee who is showing symptoms of COVID-19 must be immediately sent home and not return to work for 14 days, unless given a doctors note allowing them to do so.

“I have issued these Orders today as it is crucial for the community to continue to adhere to public health measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health at the EOHU on Wednesday, April 29. “The measures we put in place up to now are working and we’re succeeding at flattening the curve, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

The orders came into effect at 11:59 p.m. on April 29.

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