By Megan Cunningham with insights from Munsif Sheraly
From grocery shopping to searching for housing, the online marketplace has become an essential way for people to limit their exposure to COVID-19. For many, shopping online provides convenience by saving time and simplifying our lives.
During this period of uncertainty, it also may be the safer option to avoid exposure to COVID-19. This is especially relevant when considering newcomers to Canada as they are required to self-isolate for 14 days under the Quarantine Act.1
Self-isolating means that you are required to go directly to a place of quarantine without stopping for groceries or other necessities and remain at the chosen place of quarantine until the 14-day period is up.
- Munsif Sheraly, Director Multicultural Banking, Scotiabank
If a newcomer has family or friends close to their new home, they can arrange to have someone pick up and deliver them supplies. Of course, newcomers may not always know anyone in their new city or town. For a newcomer in this situation, the best solution is to leverage the various online grocery shopping options. Finder Canada2 is a great resource to find a delivery option that suits your needs.
Remember to always be vigilant when shopping online and report any suspicious activity immediately. Find out how to recognize typical tricks and identify a scam by visiting our Security Centre.
Only you know what groceries you will need, but what are the other supplies you should stock up on? The Public Health Agency of Canada put together a great resource3 on isolating at home, which features a list of key supplies to have on hand throughout this period. Some of these items include disposable paper towels, a thermometer, hand soap, regular household cleaning products, alcohol-based sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol), and more. You should be able to get these items from the same place you are doing your online grocery shopping, but if your chosen grocery store is out of supplies, then something like Amazon or eBay might have what you are looking for.
By staying home and reducing the amount of time in public spaces, or making an online order and only leaving to pick it up at the store or curbside, you are reducing your personal exposure to COVID-19. So, online grocery shopping is a great way to lower your chances of infection whether you are required to self-isolate or not. With so many people stocking up on grocery items, the stores have become increasingly busier – with long line-ups to get into the stores themselves, as well as long line-ups at the check-out.
Stay connected to Scotiabank to better prepare yourself for your upcoming move
As a newcomer to Canada, there are already so many new things that you are facing – whether that is finding a place to live, securing a job, or simply getting used to your surroundings. To try and help alleviate these new-found experiences, here is a simple list of advantages and disadvantages of online grocery shopping:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Online grocery shopping is a convenient and necessary way to practice physical distancing for newcomers during and beyond the self-isolation period.
Stay connected to Scotiabank to better prepare yourself for your upcoming move
2 https://www.finder.com/ca/buy-groceries-online
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