Premier Doug Ford says that the province will allow a slew of businesses to reopen over the next week, including some retail stores that can offer curbside pickup, but that public health measures will remain in place.

“We will move forward, but we will move cautiously,” Ford said at his daily media briefing Wednesday. “We will move with cautious optimism.”

Garden centres and nurseries will be allowed to reopen on May 8, followed by hardware stores and safety supply stores on May 9.

“This means people will be able to shop in stores as long as these businesses follow strict public health measures to protect staff and customers,” Ford said.

He said the same workplace safety requirements that currently apply to pharmacies and grocery stores, such as physical distancing, contactless payment options and sanitizing of surfaces, will apply to those stores.

On May 11, non-essential retail businesses with street entrances will be allowed to reopen to offer curbside pickup and delivery.  

The premier also said the province will be expanding the types of residential construction that can continue to include demolition work related to essential projects and below-grade multi-unit residential construction projects like apartments and condominiums.

Ford said the decision was made in consultation with his cabinet, health officials and “key stakeholders.”

“We’ll continue working to get more businesses and services online as safely as we can,” Ford said.

He added that safety guidelines will need to be followed by all businesses.

“I want to be clear. All public health measures remain in place and will be strictly enforced,” the premier said. “We can’t take the progress we’ve made for granted.”

He said the province has watched and learned from other jurisdictions that “giving this virus even an inch can set us back.”

Asked whether reopening some retail businesses might lead to crowding around stores in densely populated areas such as the GTA, Ford said large lineups are only likely to be a problem in downtown Toronto.

“If you go to Etobicoke, where I live, or Scarborough or North York, you aren’t going to have these big lineups,” Ford said.

He said he understands that Toronto’s downtown “is a whole other kettle of fish” and that he had a “good conversation” with Mayor John Tory last night about how to handle retail.

“Mayor Tory is going to be putting in place the proper protocols,” Ford said, praising him as “an incredible partner” who has been “very collaborative.”

On April 27, the province released a framework for reopening the province. The framework did not provide specific dates, but laid out a phased approach for how the province will gradually allow more business, services and public spaces to reopen.

The province also released sector-specific guidelines to help various industries understand how to operate safely amid the pandemic.

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