Non-essential retailers in Sudbury won't be opening until stay-at-home order is lifted

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that changes are being made to the framework of the provincewide shutdown in order to allow non-essential businesses to re-open.

The manner in which Ford made the announcement has created some confusion, as at first blush, it appeared as though the Premier had given the green light for non-essential businesses to start opening their doors under some provincially mandated guidelines. 

Sudbury.com reached out to the office of the Premier for clarification, and it was indicated that no non-essential retailers will be permitted to open while the health district that they are located in is under a stay-at-home order.

"In-person shopping at non-essential retail is not permitted in regions where the stay-at-home order is still in effect (aka most of the province)," said Ivana Yelich, director of media relations with the office of the Premier.

"Subject to public health trends continuing, most of the remaining regions will transition into the framework and associated level of restrictions (e.g., grey-lockdown, red-control, orange-restrict, yellow-protect and green-prevent) next week. That’s when in-person shopping in non-essential shopping will be permitted."

Three public health districts will have their stay-at-home orders lifted this week, with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health and Renfrew County and District Health Unit all coming out from under the order on Feb. 10.

These three regions will all move back into the colour-coded framework that ranges from Green-Prevent to Grey-Lockdown.

Under the new framework, regions that are under the Grey-Lockdown designation will be allowed to have non-essential retailers open for in-person shopping, with capacity limits in place.

Supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, along with convenience stores and pharmacies will be able to operate at 50 per cent capacity. All other retailers such as big box stores, hardware stores, garden centres, etc. will be permitted to open for in-person shopping and operate at 25 per cent capacity.

Stores must post their capacity limits publicly under the new framework and also must have passive screening for patrons (for example, posting signs outside the store front about not entering if you have COVID-19covid 19 symptoms)

This does not apply to indoor malls, which will have to do screening in accordance with instructions by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Individuals must physically distance and wear a face covering, with some exceptions. Shopping malls will be permitted to open in Grey-Lockdown regions, though loitering will not be permitted within malls and stores within the malls subject to appropriate retail measures.

For more on Ontario's COVID-19 response framework visit Ontario.ca.