Less than eight hours after announcing it would go cashless as a preventative measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation has backtracked.
Following customer complaints, the Crown corporation will take cash at the “employee’s discretion,” said spokesperson Beverley Ware.
“While we do accept cash still, we are encouraging customers to pay with debit or credit if possible,” she told Global News on Thursday.
“It was one of the measures implemented to try and reduce the risk but based on the feedback we’ve heard from a number of customers who only have cash, we’ve decided to allow it.”
Ware emphasized that cash should only be used as a last resort.
READ MORE: NSHA advising potential COVID-19 exposure at 2 Halifax locations
The number of customers permitted in a store at a time will still be limited based on the size of the location. The NSLC is also asking patrons to bag their own purchases in order to reduce contact with cashiers.
Store hours have been reduced to between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, with province-wide closures on Sundays, and special shopping hours for seniors at those most at risk for COVID-19.
But there’s still no talk of closing NSLC locations, said Ware, despite liquor and cannabis store closures ordered in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
“The plans in place right now remain unchanged,” she said. “We have reduced our store hours and that facilitates enhanced cleaning of our stores.”
There are currently 14 cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, five confirmed and nine presumptive.
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