There will be no St. Patrick’s Day parties in Kingston’s bars and restaurants Tuesday evening. All bars and restaurants have now closed their doors because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Restaurants can only offer drive-thru and takeout service. Premier Doug Ford ordered the mass shutdown Tuesday as he declared a state of emergency across the province.
The forced closures will impact both customers and staff. “It’s going to be a very big impact, because I wouldn’t be able to pay the employees,” says restaurant owner Michael Argiris. “We’re caught in this whirlwind, where things are evolving very quickly,” says bar owner Bruce Davis. “I’ve never had to shut down like this, except for some holidays,” says Argiris, owner of Morrison’s Restaurant