Garage sales allowed to open in Ottawa as COVID restrictions ease
Garage sales have the green light to open in Ottawa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Bylaw Services confirm garage sales are permitted to operate now that Ottawa is in Step 1 of Ontario’s reopening plan.
Garage sales are not specifically mentioned in the regulations, Bylaw Services director Roger Chapman said.
“Garage sales would be subject to the same restrictions as outdoor gatherings, which limits the number of people on the property to ten, including the host, and requires physical distancing yourself from people who are not part of your household."
Chapman also suggests wearing a mask if distances cannot be maintained.
"We recommend hand sanitizer to be made available prior to people browsing around the garage sale," said Chapman in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
"We also recommend a virtual garage sale, with a contactless, curbside pickup option to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
Ottawa Public Health offers the following tips to keep you and others safe if hosting a garage sale:
- Follow capacity limits for outdoor gatherings by referring to the Reopening Ontario webpage.
- Put up posters outlining health measures (wear masks, maintain physical distancing and encourage hand hygiene).
- Restrict and manage traffic by asking people to wait nearby once the property reaches capacity.
- Set up and manage directional traffic flow, to minimize crowding.
- Set up sanitization stations so people can cleanse their hands before and after handling items.
Non-essential retails are permitted to open during Step 1 of the reopening plan, with capacity limited to 15 per cent of the store.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.