Back in February, I wrote a piece detailing my observations surrounding the state of retail in this city. Little did I know that within two weeks the nation would go into lockdown due to an evil virus pandemic.
Unfortunately, my predictions about the future of bricks and mortar retail have come true but at a far quicker pace. Several businesses in the city have closed permanently and others are not expected to survive the pandemic.
Toronto and Peel Region entered phase 2 of the province’s pandemic recovery plan. This allows businesses to reopen under strict conditions. Bars and restaurants are not allowed to host dine-in customers. They are allowed to open patios, but with restricted seating. Phase 3 is expected to allow dining indoors, but again, seating will be restricted.
Many establishments simply will not survive under this setup. Unfortunately allowing them to reopen fully without restrictions would simply excacerbate the spread of this deadly virus.
I have heard estimates that up to 30% of businesses in the city will be closed in the coming months. This is awful.
All we can do at this point is pray. Pray that the world gets out of this latest predicament. Pray that a viable and effective vaccine is found and made available to all. We would like our lives back.