McDonald’s closes restaurants amid coronavirus pandemic

McDonald's Canada is shutting down restaurants today.

"As of March 22, we will no longer be offering take-out service in our restaurants. This means our dining rooms will now be completely closed. In addition, we will also stop offering curbside pickup. However, drive-thru and McDelivery service will still be available for those seeking convenient and affordable food options while they practice social distancing," according to a statement posted on the McDonalds Canada website.

"Select restaurants may continue to offer take-out service in communities where there are specific needs, including locations near hospitals and healthcare facilities.  We are working closely with our franchisees to identify these locations," the statement reads.

"We know there are people in our communities without a car to access drive-thru, and not everyone can access McDelivery, which is why we provided take-out service for as long as we could. Please understand that this change was made for the continued safety of our employees and guests across the country."

Starbucks Coffee has also closed in-store cafes, according to its website.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.