First, malls were urged by city officials to shut down in light of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak. Then, they were ordered to do so as soon as possible by the province.

Now, as of Wednesday morning, every major shopping centre in Toronto is closed to the public for at least 14 days while the world concentrates on slowing down a pandemic that has so far killed 16,231 people.

Both Cadillac Fairview and Oxford Properties — the two largest mall operators in Toronto — have announced the closures of all their respective properties in Ontario (with the exception of what Ontario deems "essential retailers.")

To play our part in the containment of COVID-19, we are closing Yorkdale Shopping Centre effective 11:59 pm, on Tuesday, March 24 for the next 14 days.

— Yorkdale Style (@YorkdaleStyle) March 25, 2020

The enclosed portions of the Toronto Eaton Centre, Sherway Gardens and Fairview Mall all shut down at 11:59 p.m. on March 24, according to Cadillac Fairview.

Same goes for Oxford's Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Scarborough Town Centre.

"To help keep everyone as safe as possible, and to play our part in the containment of COVID-19, in compliance with the order of the Government of Ontario on March 23, 2020 and further clarified in a press conference by Premier Ford on March 24, 2020, we are closing Yorkdale Shopping Centre effective 11:59 pm, on Tuesday, March 24 for the next 14 days," reads a statement on both the STC and Yorkdale websites.

"During this time, stores deemed essential will remain open and operational to ensure our community has access to essential services."

Shoppers Drug Mart, Scotiabank and "select food retailers" will henceforth be available to consumers through the Shoppers Drug Mart entrance adjacent to Lot J at Yorkdale Mall.

Please be advised, commencing Wednesday, March 25, 2020, @DufferinMall will be CLOSED until further notice. A select number of stores classified as essential will remain open. Please visit https://t.co/i9ydsg6vX2 for more details. pic.twitter.com/z6TsvZsbWs

— Dufferin Mall (@DufferinMall) March 24, 2020

Many smaller community malls, including Bayview Village, Agincourt and Cloverdale,  have yet to update their websites or social media accounts to reflect that they've closed — though it is assumed that they are no longer open (save for essential services) given the provincial government's closure order.

Corporations that defy such orders, after all, can be fined as much as $500,000.

Dufferin Mall, for its part, has issued a formal shut down notice, writing on its website that the shopping centre "will be closed until further notice."

Stores classified as essential that will remain open at the Duff include No Frills, Walmart, Bank of Montreal, Swiss Chalet, LCBO, the Beer Store and Dollarama.