Grocery stores across Toronto are still open, but they're limiting the number of people allowed inside at one time to encourage social distancing. 

The result has been lineups outside even some of the larger grocery stores in the city, like No Frills, or in some cases, LCBO, where the current limit is 50 customers at a time. 

There are socially distanced lineups at my local metro as they are limiting the number of people inside. #toronto #pandemic #covid19 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/NyOUtTA9cx

— Vik Pahwa Photo (@VikPahwa) March 21, 2020

It's not just large food chains: smaller grocers and cafes choosing to remain open have taken on the same protocol, like Sanagan's Meat Market, where lines form outside the shop daily. 

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A post shared by Sanagan's Meat Locker (@sanagansmeatlocker) on Mar 16, 2020 at 6:08am PDT

Other measures have already been implemented where food products are sold in order to curb the effects of panic shopping and potential contamination, like limiting the number of products one customers can buy. 

Just went to my local No Frills to maybe get my hands on toilet paper....saw this and turned around. Yes that’s a lineup from one side of the building to the other. #toiletpaper #COVID19ON #toronto pic.twitter.com/D95GLkhYRp

— Sarah Robertson (@skrobertson89) March 19, 2020

Standing in lineups is by no means ideal, given that the recommended distance to keep between others is around 2 metres, but given the need for essential food items and household products, it's a risk that some shoppers are willing to take.