With Black Friday nearly here, the mayors and chairs of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area want those retailers which remain open under increased provincial restrictions to immediately state they will not have an large, in-person sales this Friday.

In a statement, Mayor John Tory says ”such sales would inevitably produce crowd scenes which would only serve to undermine the fight against COVID-19 and negate the sacrifices being made by so many, including other businesses.”

The GTHA mayors and chairs urge people to shop online and support local retailers as well as use curbside pickup.

”No deal, no TV, no clothing item, no video game is worth someone taking a risk on someone else getting COVID-19,” stressed Tory.  

Meanwhile, the mayors and chairs also want to see agreement reached and action taken by governments and companies to reassure workers that getting tested will not, if someone tests positive, result in the loss of either their job or paycheque while they isolate.