CORNWALL, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is introducing stricter guidelines around the number of people allowed in grocery stores and multi-departmental retail outlets.
EOHU states that the goal of the orders is to promote better social distancing, and it notes that some departments in large retail and grocery stores see disproportionately high traffic, which the orders also try to address.
The new rules are being implemented through section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA).
“With holiday shopping, we’re seeing large crowds in many stores, which increases the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at this critical time,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health of the EOHU. “I have issued this Order to protect employees, business patrons and the broader community. Putting measures in place to prevent spread of COVID-19 also protects our local businesses by helping us avoid business closures – a last resort to control the spread of the virus.”
The new Order requires multidepartment retail and grocery stores to implement the following measures:
- Ensure that a maximum number of patrons is established and clearly marked for each department, and that departments are staffed to ensure that the total number of patrons permitted per department is respected. Overall store capacity limits must be respected.
- Post signs stating the total number of patrons permitted per department.
- For clarity, high traffic departments in multidepartment stores such as grocery and pharmacy departments must have their own capacity limits.
- The following additional measures must also be implemented to ensure crowd control:
- Ensure that the flow of patrons is enforced and that patrons congregating together or walking against the directions of the arrows are reminded to abide by the rules.
- Calculate the maximum number of patrons permitted in each department or section based on the square footage available for patrons (available footage excludes areas occupied by shelves, cash registers, etc.).
- Calculate the maximum number of patrons permitted in each department or section based on the availability of staff to control the traffic and ensure that the implemented measures are enforced.
- Control lineups both inside and outside the store to ensure physical distancing of at least two metres is maintained, and to ensure the total number of patrons in any given department or section is not exceeded because of lined up patrons.
In addition to the new rules, the EOHU states that in partnership with local enforcement agencies, it will be stepping up its inspections of these outlets.
These new rules go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19.
