COVID-19 Requirements for Retailers by Region

RCC has assembled a chart of regulations and health and safety guidelines for retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Information includes:

  • Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements
  • Personal Protective Equipment required
  • Any rules in place for customer or employee screening

Health and safety requirements by region

Updated April 8, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”/
allowed to open:

  • All

Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • As of April 8, 2022, employers are no longer required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan and must follow communicable disease guidance instead. More information can be found here.

Personal Protective Equipment required:

  • Proof of vaccination is no longer required as of April 8, 2022.


Employee screening:

  • Employee screening is at the employer’s discretion.


Customer screening:

  • Customer screening is at the discretion of the individual business.


Returns:

  • Returns are allowed.


Fitting rooms:

  • There are no requirements regarding fitting rooms as of July 1, 2021.


Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • Reusable bags are recommended. Best practice is to post signage asking customers to wash reusable bags regularly.  Local shopping bag bylaws must be observed.


Bulk bins:

  • Bulk bins are allowed.


Guidance documents:


Travel restrictions (regional):

  • B.C. currently welcomes visitors to B.C.. The Provincial Health Officer recommends that non-vaccinated people considering coming to British Columbia receive vaccinations before coming to B.C.

Updated March 1, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”/
allowed to open:

  • All retailers are permitted to open.

Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • No capacity limits
    Personal Protective Equipment required:
  • Provincially, face masks are no longer required.

Employee screening:

  • Encourage employees to self monitor

Customer screening:

  • There are no rules related to customer screening.

Returns:

  • There are no COVID rules related to returns.

Fitting rooms:

  • There are no COVID rules related to fitting rooms.


Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • Reusable bags are permitted.

Bulk bins:

  • There are no COVID rules related to bulk bins.

Guidance documents:

  • COVID guidance documents have been discontinued.

Travel restrictions (regional):

  • Interprovincial travel is permitted with no restrictions.

Operational Plan Required:

  • No specific operational plan for COVID-19 has been required, however OH&S plans must factor in all risks, including those related to COVID.

Updated February 28, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”/
allowed to open:

  • All retailers are permitted to open.


Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • Retail stores across the province (all regions) are permitted to operate at 100% of fire code allowance.


Personal Protective Equipment required:

  • There are no provincial masking requirements for employees or customers.


Employee screening:

  • All workers, especially those in constant contact with the public should self -monitor for symptoms and use the self-assessment tool.


Customer screening:

  • There are no rules related to customer screening.


Returns:

  • There are no COVID rules related to returns.


Fitting rooms:

  • There are no COVID rules related to fitting rooms.


Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • Reusable bags are permitted.


Bulk bins:

  • There are no COVID rules related to bulk bins.


Guidance documents:

  • COVID guidance documents have been discontinued.


Travel restrictions (regional):

  • Interprovincial travel is permitted with no restrictions.


Operational Plan Required:

  • No specific operational plan for COVID-19 has been required, however OH&S plans must factor in all risks, including those related to COVID.

Updated March 14, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”/
allowed to open:

  • All retail stores across the province are permitted to open.

Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • Retail stores may operate at 100% throughout the province.

Personal Protective Equipment required:

  • There are no provincial masking requirements for employees or customers.

Employee screening:

  • Staff should self-screen before coming into work.

Customer screening:

  • Thee are no customer screening requirements

Returns:

  • There are no COVID rules related to returns.

Fitting rooms:

  • There are no COVID rules related to fitting rooms.

Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • Reusable bags are permitted.

Bulk bins:

  • There are no COVID rules related to bulk bins.

Guidance documents:

  • COVID guidance documents have been discontinued.

Travel restrictions (regional):

  • None

Operational Plan Required:

  • No specific operational plan for COVID-19 has been required.

Updated March 21, 2022

Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • Capacity limits have been lifted in all indoor public settings


Personal Protective Equipment required:

  • There is no province-wide mask mandate in retail, restaurants and office settings. RCC has been in touch with the Health units, and is not aware of any local-level restrictions.


Employee screening:

  • No employee screening is required for retailers, restaurants or offices (neither active nor passive).


Customer screening:

  • No customer screening is required for retailers, restaurants or offices (neither active nor passive).


Returns:

  • Returns are allowed.


Fitting rooms:

  • Use of fitting rooms allowed without restrictions.


Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • No restrictions or guidance from the province on the use of reusable bags.


Bulk bins:

  • No province guidance on bulk bins.


Travel restrictions (regional):

  • No restrictions

  • Operational Plan Required:
  • No Safety/Operational Plan required.

Updated on May 16, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”/
allowed to open:

  • All retailers are allowed to open, including both essential and non-essential businesses.


Maximum number of people in store/ physical distancing requirements:

  • Capacity restriction for retailers was lifted on February 21, 2022.


Personal Protective Equipment required:

  • Non-medical masks or face coverings are no longer required for customers in retail stores and shopping centres. View Mask Requirements  for more information.


Employee screening:

  • Quebec recommends screening employees regularly for health issues. Public Health has implemented a screening protocol using the use of rapid tests in companies to reduce the risk of outbreaks – it is a voluntary measure.
  • A self-assessment tool is now available online

Fitting rooms:

  • Quebec has no guidance on fitting rooms.


Reusable bags/ bagging:

  • The province has recommended customers bag their own items. A company can, however, choose to offer packing or bagging services using reusable bags in accordance with the hygiene measures in place for the on-site employees. Likewise, reusable containers may be brought in by consumers and handled by employees, as long as employees wash their hands after handling containers belonging to consumers.


Bulk bins:

  • Bulk bins are allowed but discouraged. Retailers are currently authorized to prepackage foods from bulk containers in order to limit handling by the public, without labeling them as long as the packaging is located near the original containers so that customers can take note of the necessary information (name, list of ingredients, price / weight or volume), until the sanitary situation is restored.


Travel restrictions (regional):

  • Interprovincial travel is permitted with no restrictions.


Operational Plan Required:

  • No specific operational plan for COVID-19 has been required.

Updated on March 15, 2022

As of March 14, 2022, all relevant COVID-19 restrictions have been removed (eg: masking, physical distancing).

Guidance documents:

Updated July 4, 2022

As of March 21, 2022, all relevant COVID-19 restrictions for retailers were removed (eg: masking, physical distancing).

As of July 4, 2022, all remaining COVID-19 restrictions (eg: isolation following positive tests) have been changed to recommendations. The isolation restrictions remain for high risk settings (eg: senior’s homes).


Guidance documents

Updated March 14, 2022.

As of March 14, 2022, all relevant COVID-19 restrictions have been removed (eg: masking, physical distancing).

Guidance documents:

  • All RCC members are allowed to open.

Updated on June 3, 2022

Retailers considered “essential”
allowed to open:

As of June 3, 2022, all relevant COVID-19 restrictions have been removed (eg: masking, physical distancing).

Guidance documents:



Updated March 18, 2022

As of March 18, 2022, all relevant COVID-19 restrictions have been removed (eg: masking, physical distancing).

Guidance documents:



Updated April 1, 2022

As of April 1, 2022, all NWT COVID-19 Public Health Orders have been lifted


Updated April 11, 2022

As of April 11, 2022, Nunavut’s COVID-19 public health restrictions have come to an end.


See also:

If you have questions specific to your area, please contact RCC’s Regional Directors directly: