Since December 26th, stores selling what is deemed to be “non-essential” have been closed by the government, while stores selling “essential” items can remain in operation but are not allowed to sell “non-essential” goods.
The Quebec government has given little guidelines to retailers and has caused great confusion and chaos for both retailers and consumers.
CTV highlighted the story of Alicia Aghazarian, who in the midst of moving out of her home and packing her belongings, ran out of scotch tape.
At the store, she was told that scotch tape was non-essential. She was therefore prohibited from buying the item which in her case was essential.
Most stores in the province have also stopped selling electronic appliances such as ovens and fridges. For a household whose refrigerator or oven breaks, replacing their appliance becomes rather essential. Not according to the Quebec government.
Stores such as Dollorama had cordoned off children’s winter clothing (hats, gloves, scarves) but kept selling mints and chewing gum.
Nursery items such as breast pumps and nursing pads were also deemed “non-essential” and prohibited from being sold. Yet the government-owned alcohol and cannabis stores remain in full operation.
Despite the closure of “non-essential” stores and the many restrictive measures taken by the Legault government, the number of cases is still going up in the province that has been under lockdown since October 1st, confirming that restrictive lockdowns are not effective at driving cases down, and that perhaps the Quebec government should reconsider its strategy.
