WINNIPEG -- Under Manitoba’s Code Red restrictions, stores that are allowed to stay open cannot sell any non-essential items in person.
The public health orders also state that non-essential items, such as books, toys, and sporting equipment, must be marked or sectioned off from the rest of the merchandise so that Manitobans know they can’t be purchased.
"What we really want to do is to ensure it is clear to consumers what items are essential and what are not," said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, in a news conference last week.
WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?
The Walmart on Kenaston Boulevard is permitted to stay open as it sells essential items, including food.
However, in order to adhere to public health restrictions, the store has moved non-essential items off the sales floors, covered shelves with plastic and limited access to certain areas with barriers.
Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News
The store’s staff are located throughout the Walmart and at checkouts in order to ensure customers are only buying the essentials.
The store’s manager Valdimar Johnson said this all came together in the matter of hours.
“We did it overnight,” he said.
“We had a meeting for all Manitoba stores and we put a plan together for how we were going to do that with our associates and we did that overnight so we could open up and we could be following new regulations.”
Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News
Johnson said more people are shopping online for pickup or delivery under the new regulations, and he has had to hire additional staff to keep up with demand.
The Code Red restrictions permit non-essential items to be sold online for curbside pickup or delivery.
Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News
- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre.
