

Chris Fox, CP24.com





Loblaws says that it will begin providing “priority access” to healthcare workers as it continues to limit the capacity in its stores in an effort to ensure physical distancing.

CEO Galen Weston announced the new policy in a news release issued late Monday.

He said that effective immediately healthcare workers will just have to show their work ID’s to be waved through the line at all supermarket and drug store locations. He said that unlike the dedicated seniors hours at some stores, the policy will be in effect all day.

“We owe it to all Canadians to make things better, not harder. But that is especially true of our healthcare workers who are under incredible strain. They spend long and stressful shifts supporting directly impacted individuals, and often don’t know when exactly they will be working from week to week. This uncertainty makes shopping for their own essentials very hard,” he said in the release. “If you’re a healthcare worker, we hope this helps. For everyone else, please join us in recognizing these remarkable individuals by being patient while we get them into the store as quickly as we can.”

Weston said that the new policy was put into place after receiving feedback from the public, though other retailers have taken similar steps.

Costco has been providing priority access to healthcare workers and first responders during the pandemic and Longos has also announced a similar policy.

Other efforts have also been taken to help healthcare workers with groceries, including a free delivery service that was launched by a Toronto resident earlier this month.

“It's a very tough time and all the essential workers behind the scenes, we wanted give them some recognition. Letting them in is something small we can do to thank them,” Gino Calabrese, who is the manager of a Longo’s location near the Queen Elizabeth Way and Dixie Road, told CP24 on Tuesday morning. “It has been fantastic. You know, we have a lot of healthcare workers in the area, a few hospitals, first responders and they all work long days and just want to get in, get what they need and leave.”

Tory wants other grocers to take similar steps

While many grocery stores have taken steps to let healthcare workers skip the lines, not all of them have taken that step so far.

Speaking with CP24 on Tuesday, Mayor John Tory said that he is hopeful that will change as retailers adjust to the new reality.

“I hope it does spread within the grocery stores,” he said. “I think is a fair thing to have those people who are working so hard right now and doing such great work move to the front of the line.”