Grocery shopping during the pandemic can certainly be a source of anxiety for residents doing their best to social distance and prevent further spread of the virus, so it's important to know the rules and recommendations for shopping in Toronto in order to stay as safe as possible.

While the city has yet to implement any social distancing bylaws in supermarkets like the one currently in place in parks and public squares, public health officials have offered several helpful recommendations for grocery shoppers in Toronto. 

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's chief medical officer of health, has repeatedly advised residents to limit shopping trips to one person per household, once a week.

She has acknowledged that this is not always possible, but encourages residents to aim for this limited amount of shopping.

#ShopSmart, Toronto. Watch this video by @RetailCouncil for tips that to ensure that we all stay safe while shopping at the grocery or the drug store once per week. pic.twitter.com/az3gGQ57Rn

— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) April 4, 2020

Some experts have argued that provincial governments across the country should implement regulations that only allow one grocery trip per household each week, but that has yet to happen in Ontario. 

And for those who are elderly or disabled in some way, grocery delivery options are undoubtedly the safest way to stock up on essentials without putting yourself and others at risk. 

The majority of the city's supermarkets currently have social distancing measures in place that only allow a certain number of shoppers in at a time and require customers to stand two metres apart in line, but these restrictions vary by store. 

Several stores across the city are also requiring shoppers to wear a mask when entering, but this too varies by location. 

Some essential stores in Toronto have stopped accepting reusable bags as a precaution, such as Shoppers Drug Mart, while others aren't accepting cash to limit the spread of germs.

To assist in reducing the risk to our colleagues, effective immediately, colleagues will refrain from bagging groceries where a reusable bag or container is presented. We will also be waiving the fee of plastic bags should customers choose to leave their reusable bags at home.

— Shoppers Drug Mart (@ShopprsDrugMart) April 18, 2020

Recommendations for mask usage in Canada have also changed in recent weeks, with health officials now encouraging residents to wear non-medical grade masks when visiting busy areas such as grocery stores. 

But at the end of the day, health officials continue to emphasize that the best way to protect yourself and others from contracting and spreading the virus is by staying home as much as possible, washing hands thoroughly and carefully, and staying two metres from others when visiting public places.