The 2020 holiday shopping season has been like no other before, due in no small part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no office Christmas parties or gatherings with extended family allowed in most of Quebec, there are fewer gifts to buy. But from Sainte-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal to malls across the city’s suburbs and beyond, the novel coronavirus hasn’t stopped everyone from coming out to shop.
Most shoppers told Global News they weren’t entirely comfortable with going into a store, but did so anyway because they had gifts or essentials to buy. Nearly all reported buying more things online than in previous years, but they said some things just had to be bought in person.
Besides last-minute Christmas presents, there’s another reason why so many Quebecers are turning out to shop in the days before Dec. 25. After that date, retail stores deemed non-essential by Quebec City will have to close their doors until at least Jan. 11, 2021, as the province struggles to get its still-growing second wave under control.
Quebec reported 2,183 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, roughly in line with the past several days’ reports.
At his daily press conference, Premier François Legault noted that strict new capacity limits on retailers are in effect until the shutdown takes effect as scheduled, but he urged Quebecers turning out to go shopping to be careful.
“So, wear your mask, stay at two metres of other customers and employees,” he said. “Right now it’s important that we be very careful in retail stores, until Thursday, we’re closing them Thursday night.”
Get weekly health news
But many health experts, including McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos, say just being careful isn’t necessarily enough.
“It’s not a good idea for people to crowd in anywhere,” Labos said. “The virus doesn’t care what you’re doing, or whether you’re doing it for a good reason. The virus just knows you’re around other people.”
One of the largest owners and operators of shopping malls in Canada, Ivanhoé Cambridge — which is itself a subsidiary of the agency that manages Quebec’s public pension fund — declined an interview, but in a statement, said it’s working with local public health authorities to keep customers safe until they’re required to close their doors.
“During the government ‘holiday pause’ in Quebec’s province (sic), access to authorized retailers, curbside pick-up and restaurants for take-out or delivery purposes only will be maintained within all safety measures at participating retailers,” the statement reads.
But Labos says that just because stores are allowed to be open for the next several days doesn’t mean people should necessarily shop ’til they drop.
“This is part of the reason why people were going to bars and restaurants (in the summer and early autumn). They said, ‘Well, if it was dangerous, the government would shut it down,’ not realizing that, again, when you crowd a bunch of people into a small space, this is the sort of thing that does happen, you have more spread of COVID-19.”
Comments