Toronto approves 24-hour retail deliveries during COVID-19

Toronto grocery stores and retail businesses can now accept deliveries around the clock to help keep shelves stocked with essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city announced earlier this week.

To facilitate after-hour deliveries, the City of Toronto is exempting all retailers from a noise by-law that would normally prevent the loading and unloading of deliveries from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. during the week, and from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. on the weekend.

READ: How Canadian grocery is dealing with COVID-19

"By exempting retail businesses from the city's noise bylaw right now, we will ensure that retailers can receive deliveries 24 hours of a day, seven days a week," said Mayor John Tory in a press release. "This action is part of the city's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and my focus on protecting the people of Toronto, including our most vulnerable residents, and helping businesses."

The city said it made the decision to exempt retailers from the bylaw--effective immediately and until further notice--after the issue was raised by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).

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