The LCBO will remain open as non-essential businesses forced to close

As Toronto enters into a state of emergency and Premier Doug Ford (who already enacted a state of emergency in Ontario) announces that all non-essential businesses in the province will be forced to shut down tomorrow due to COVID-19, many residents may be wondering what is happening to important but technically non-essential retailers like the LCBO.

If they announced the LCBO’s were closing it would be chaos

— 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨 (@GapToothPapi_) March 23, 2020

Thankfully, while our bars have been shuttered and we ourselves essentially confined to our homes, alcohol and cannabis stores will not be closing their doors.

Though the LCBO and Beer Store have recently limited their opening hours in response to the pandemic, nothing else will be changing at either for the time being, and marijuana retailers likewise have plans to stay open.

The city's medical officer of health has actually gone as far as saying the closure of the LCBO could lead to "pretty significant health consequences" for some members of the public.

While yes, I’m happy to hear LCBO & beer stores are still running, I’d like to encourage people who disagree to look up addiction and withdrawal symptoms to realize why these things might be considered “essential” to the community.

— joe dirt (@brewatters) March 23, 2020

On Tuesday, Ford will be providing a detailed list of which types of businesses and services will be permitted to continue operating and which will not.