OTTAWA -- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is ordering all essential businesses to limit customers in stores and take steps to prevent hoarding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health unit has issued orders for all essential stores and companies offering curbside pick-up and delivery in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Effective Thursday at 12 a.m., all supermarkets, convenience stores, big box retailers, beer, wine and liquor stores and pharmacies must have the following measures in place:

Ensure Crowd Control

  • Assign an employee at the front door for crowd and flow control, and an employee to monitor the parking lot
  • Staggering the number of people entering the premises at the same time to respect physical distancing
  • If applicable, design a shopping flow in the whole premises: every aisle in the premises must become a one-way aisle
  • If applicable, reduce the lines and groupings at the cash registers by having clients line up behind six foot tape markings on the floor

Implement Hygiene Procedures

  • If applicable, sanitize shopping carts and baskets between customers
  • Provide portable hand washing stations for clients at the entrance
  • Provide plexiglass dividers at cashiers for any other service that requires a staff member to be close to the client
  • Either use tapping when paying by card or establish a protocol to sanitize the keypad

Implement Other Measures

  • If applicable, limit the number of items per customer of any product in the premises to prevent hoarding
  • Remove all loose items at the takeout concessions
  • Consider using only one cashier for cash payments

Businesses offering curb-side pick-up and drive-through must also make changes, including crowd control in the pick-up area and proper hygiene procedures for employees and screening procedures.

All essential businesses remaining open during the COVID-19 pandemic are also asked to screen employees for COVID-19 at the beginning of each shift and send home any employees who are sick immediately.  Staff must also be trained to ensure they wash their hands often and proper procedures for using gloves.

The measures cover all stores in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region, including Cornwall, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry and Prescott-Russell.