Commission unveils plans to boost bio-economy

Commission unveils plans to boost bio-economy

Action plan aims to overcome fragmented approach to supporting sector.

By

2/13/12, 11:12 AM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 10:45 PM CET

The European Commission on Monday (13 February) launched an action plan to improve EU support for the bio-economy – products and services made from biological resources. The plan involves no new funding or legislation, but instead seeks to integrate the EU’s fragmented support policies.

“We’re too slow and too piecemeal in converting research results into innovation,” Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European commissioner for research, innovation and sciene, said at a press conference. “Policy measures at European and member state level are often launched in isolation.”

The action plan involves better targeted research funding and more support for public-private partnerships. The EU’s bio-economy already has a turnover of nearly €2 trillion and is responsible for 9% of employment in the EU, the Commission says. These include activities in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, pulp and paper, chemical and energy sectors. Last year’s Horizon 2020 plan for research funding allocated €4.5 billion to food security, sustainable agriculture and the bio-economy.

“For the first time, the European Commission has a coherent approach for this complex economic and scientific arena and it is supported by several relevant departments of the Commission, including agriculture, environment and industry,” said Lars Christian Hansen, head of the European region at Danish biotechnology company Novozymes. “This sends a strong signal the bio-economy has become a European priority.”

Authors:
Dave Keating 

FUT Birthday: Dates, features & SBCs for the FIFA 20 Ultimate Team event

FIFA Ultimate Team turns 11 this month and to celebrate, there will be plenty of upgraded players and pack offers in FUT

FIFA Ultimate Team was launched in March 2009 and every year, EA Sports celebrates with a special promotion known as FUT Birthday.

FIFA 20 sees Ultimate Team turn 11 and will celebrate the event with the release of many special cards, packs, challenges and objectives.

What is FUT Birthday?

FUT Birthday is a two-week-long celebration to mark the anniversary of the first-ever FIFA Ultimate Team, back in FIFA 09. Initially, it was available as an add-on to the main game, but now FUT is the most popular mode in the game.

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The first-ever FUT Birthday promotion took place in FIFA 14 and the event has been a key part of the FUT promotional calendar ever since.

To mark the occasion, EA Sports will release a special FUT Birthday squad as well as many other special edition cards and throwback players during the FUT Birthday fortnight.

When will FUT Birthday begin?

FUT Birthday is expected to begin on Friday, March 20 and continue for two weeks until Friday, April 4. It began around this date in every game from FIFA 14 to FIFA 19, with the exception of FIFA 18, where it was delayed until March 31.

It will kick off at 18.00 GMT on Friday, March 20 and new items and challenges will be added every 24 hours for the duration of the FUT Birthday event.

Who is in the FUT Birthday squad?

Each year, a special FUT Birthday squad is released containing some of the most popular players from previous editions of the game. These are given upgraded stats as well as new positions. In FIFA 19, the biggest name was Antoine Griezmann, who was changed to right-wing, while EA Sports mixed things up with a left-back version of Mohamed Salah and a striker card for Virgil van Dijk.

Like this season’s other promotions, the FUT Birthday squad will be released in two parts, with the first unveiled on Friday, March 20 and the second due to launch on Friday, March 27. Each squad will be available in packs for a week.

Other FUT Birthday players will be released as special objectives or in daily Squad Building Challenges (SBCs). In addition to this, flashback players will also be released during the FUT Birthday celebration, as well as untradeable FUT Birthday kits.

Will there be special offers during FUT Birthday?

Promotional packs will be available for limited periods during the FUT Birthday period. These will include special limited-availability offers where a small number of packs will be sold in the Store on a first come, first served basis.

Other special packs will be available for longer periods but will be limited to five or 10 packs per player.

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In previous years, free untradeable packs were also given as a reward, with the pack type determined on the amount of days the player had logged in to FIFA or the companion apps.

Will Banks In Canada Close Due To Coronavirus? Here's What's Happening So Far

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TORONTO ― The Canadian Bankers Association says the country’s six biggest banks are working together in their efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 by temporarily limiting branch operating hours and reducing the number of branches, while maintaining critical services.

The association says special care will be given to branches in rural communities.

It says many banking services will continue to be available through bank machines, mobile apps, bank websites and telephone banking.

Watch: How the coronavirus will impact the economy. Story continues below.

 

The move comes as public health officials urge people to limit contact with others in an effort to limit the threat of the novel coronavirus.

Businesses across the country have responded by cutting back, changing their operations and finding ways to allow employees to work from home.

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce has said 816 of its locations will remain open, but operate under modified hours, while 206 which do not offer over-the-counter cash and banking services will temporarily close effective Wednesday.

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The bank is also introducing assistance for clients impacted by job loss or other circumstances and urged those that need help to contact the bank to review options.

“As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve we are taking proactive, precautionary action to continue serving our clients while protecting the health and safety of our clients, team members and the communities we serve,″ said Laura Dottori-Attanasio, CIBC’s senior executive vice-president, personal and business banking.

“We remain ready to help clients with their banking needs and we’re proud to support our clients and our community as we work through the current situation together.”

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‘Guardiola one of the reasons I signed for Man City’ – Gundogan outlines Pep admiration

The Germany international midfielder has discussed his own plans for moving into the dugout once he is done playing

Ilkay Gundogan has admitted that one of the chief reasons he moved to Manchester City was the influence of manager Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan boss made his name in the dugout with Barcelona, where he had a highly successful playing career, before moving on to Bayern Munich and then to the Etihad Stadium.

His passing style of football and man management were draws for the Borussia Dortmund man to first sign for City then to extend his contract with the club in 2019.

“Guardiola is one of the main reasons why I signed for Manchester City in 2016 and why I renewed my contract here last year,” he told Marca .

“Pep has so much charisma that always makes you give more than 100 per cent, not only in matches, but in training too. His way of understanding the game also suits my style perfectly.”

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old midfielder is keeping his options open when it comes to taking up a coaching role when his playing career is over, and he says having worked under the game’s top bosses would only help him.

“We’ll see, we’ll see. Maybe,” he said. “I’ve learned and am still learning a lot during my career as a player because I can say I’ve had the privilege of having the best coaches. Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Joachim Low… How many players can say they’ve had coaches like them?

“So yeah, I could have a coaching career in the future.”

Gundogan, though, says that he is not practising for any future he may have in the dugout by checking out recent recorded matches.

“If I’m telling you the truth, I’m not watching that many. To be honest with you, I’m playing Football Manager a lot. Football has to keep being part of my daily routine!”

The Germany international has played 40 times in all competitions for City this season, scoring five goals and setting up another five in the process.

Before the enforced suspension of football across Europe due to Covid-19, he played a role in the club moving to second in the Premier League, albeit a distant 25 points from leaders Liverpool, while he featured in their 2-1 Champions League last-16 win against Real Madrid away from home on February 26. 

Euro 2021: Groups, fixtures, results & all you need to know

The road to Euro 2021 is almost complete as the qualification stage turns to the play-offs

International football in Europe has been complicated somewhat by the inception of the Nations League, but the top prize in the continent remains the European Championship.

Euro 2021, the 16th edition of the UEFA competition, is being styled as a celebration, with games being held across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the first ever tournament (though it will strictly be 61 years). 

The qualification stage is nearly complete and the finals draw has taken place, but the future of the tournament has been cast in doubt thanks to the outbreak of the coronavirus Covid-19.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that it will go ahead and Goal brings you everything you need to know.

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Contents

  1. Euro 2021 format
  2. Euro 2021 group stage
  3. Play-offs
  4. Euro 2021 dates
  5. Euro 2021 host cities

Euro 2021 format

Euro 2021 will feature 24 teams – 20 from automatic qualification and the remaining four decided through the play-off phase in March 2020.

The format for the final tournament will be the same as Euro 2016, making for six groups comprised of four teams.

The winner and runner-up in each group, along with the four best third-placed sides, will progress to the round of 16.

Euro 2021 group stage

The group stages were confirmed with the Euro 2021 draw on November 30, 2019.

The Euro 2021 group stage is provisionally proposed to take place from June 11, 2021 – June 24, 2021.

Host nation Italy will kick off the tournament against Turkey at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Group A

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 Turkey ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Italy (H) ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Wales ??????? 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Switzerland ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group A fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC Turkey vs Italy TBC Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Jun TBC Wales vs Switzerland TBC Olympic Stadium, Baku
Jun TBC Turkey vs Wales TBC Olympic Stadium, Baku
Jun TBC Italy vs Switzerland TBC Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Jun TBC Switzerland vs Turkey TBC Olympic Stadium, Baku
Jun TBC Italy vs Wales TBC Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Group B

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 Denmark (H) ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Finland ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Belgium ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Russia (H) ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group B fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC Denmark vs Finland TBC Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
Jun TBC Belgium vs Russia TBC Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
Jun TBC Finland vs Russia TBC Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
Jun TBC Denmark vs Belgium TBC Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
Jun TBC Russia vs Denmark TBC Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
Jun TBC Finland vs Belgium TBC Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

Group C

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 Netherlands ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Ukraine ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Austria ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Winner D/A 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group C fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC Netherlands vs Ukraine TBC Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam
Jun TBC Austria vs Winner D/A TBC Arena Nationala, Bucharest
Jun TBC Netherlands vs Austria TBC Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam
Jun TBC Ukraine vs Winner  TBC Arena Nationala, Bucharest
Jun TBC Winner D/A vs Netherlands TBC Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam
Jun TBC Ukraine vs Austria TBC Arena Nationala, Bucharest

Group D

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 England (H) ??????? 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Croatia ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Winner C 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Czech Republic ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group D fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC England vs Croatia TBC Wembley Stadium, London
Jun TBC Winner C vs Czech Republic TBC Hampden Park, Glasgow
Jun TBC Croatia vs Czech Republic TBC Hampden Park, Glasgow
Jun TBC England vs Winner C TBC Wembley Stadium, London
Jun TBC Croatia vs Winner C TBC Hampden Park, Glasgow
Jun TBC Czech Republic vs England TBC Wembley Stadium, London

Group E

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 Spain ?? (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Sweden ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Poland ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Winner B 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group E fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC Spain vs Sweden TBC San Mames, Bilbao
Jun TBC Poland vs Winner B TBC Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Jun TBC Sweden vs Winner B TBC Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Jun TBC Spain vs Poland TBC San Mames, Bilbao
Jun TBC Winner B vs Spain TBC San Mames, Bilbao
Jun TBC Sweden vs Poland TBC Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Group F

Pos Team GP W D L GD Pts
1 Winner A/D 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Portugal ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 France ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Germany (H) ?? 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group F fixtures

Date Game Time (UK) Venue
Jun TBC Winner A/D vs Portugal TBC Puskas Arena, Budapest
Jun TBC France vs Germany TBC Allianz Arena, Munich
Jun TBC Winner A/D vs France TBC Puskas Arena, Budapest
Jun TBC Portugal vs Germany TBC Allianz Arena, Munich
Jun TBC Portugal vs France TBC Olympic Stadium, Baku
Jun TBC Germany A/D TBC Allianz Arena, Munich

Euro 2021 play-offs

Sixteen teams compete in the play-off section of Euro 2021 qualifying. They are divided into four groups, with one team from each section advancing to the tournament.

Play-off path A

Iceland will take on Romania in semi-final one of Path A, while Bulgaria face Hungary in the other semi-final.

The winner of Bulgaria vs Hungary will have home advantage in the final.

Date Team Result Team
Jun TBC Iceland  Romania
Jun TBC Bulgaria Hungary
Jun TBC Winner semi-final 1 Winner semi-final 2

Play-off path B

Semi-final one sees Bosnia-Herzegovina take on Northern Ireland and Slovakia face the Republic of Ireland in the other semi-final.

Either Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland will be the hosts for the final.

Date Team Result Team
Jun TBC Bosnia & Herzegovina Northern Ireland
Jun TBC Slovakia Republic of Ireland
Jun TBC Winner semi-final 1 Winner semi-final 2

Play-off path C

Scotland face Israel in one of the semi-finals, while Norway take on Serbia in the other.

The winner of Norway vs Serbia will be at home for the final.

Date Team Result Team
Jun TBC Scotland Israel
Jun TBC Norway Serbia
Jun TBC Winner semi-final 1 Winner semi-final 2

Play-off path D

Georgia lock horns with Belarus, while North Macedonia play Kosovo in the other semi-final in path D.

The final will be hosted be the winner of Georgia vs Belarus.

Date Team Result Team
Jun TBC Georgia Belarus
Jun TBC North Macedonia Kosovo
Jun TBC Winner semi-final 1 Winner semi-final 2

The 16th edition of the European Championship will provisionally kick off on June 11, 2021 and it will conclude on July 11, 2021.

It will be held across 12 different cities in Europe, with UEFA celebrating the 60th birthday of the first European Championship (then called the European Nations Cup), which was held in France in 1960.

The final and semi-finals will be contested in London at Wembley Stadium.

Full Euro 2021 stadiums guide.

Euro 2021 host cities

City Stadium Capacity
Amsterdam, Netherlands Johan Cruyff Arena 56,000
Baku, Azerbaijan Olympic Stadium 68,700
Bilbao, Spain San Mames 53,332
Bucharest, Romania Arena Nationala 55,600
Budapest, Hungary Ferenc Puskas Stadium 67,889
Copenhagen, Denmark Parken Stadium 38,065
Dublin, Ireland Aviva Stadium 51,700
Glasgow, Scotland Hampden Park 52,063
London, England Wembley Stadium 90,000
Munich, Germany Allianz Arena 75,000
Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 72,698
Saint Petersburg, Russia Krestovsky Stadium 68,134

Click here to learn more about the Euro 2021 host cities and stadiums

'Kloppo, smoke a cigarette now and calm down!' – Dortmund legend reveals what Liverpool boss is really like

The Bundesliga club’s former physio explained what it was like to work alongside the Reds head coach

Former Borussia Dortmund physiotherapist Frank Zollner has admitted Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp can go “pretty crazy” sometimes, but he always “had the balls” to apologise to people if he went too far.

Zollner worked for Dortmund for almost 20 years between 1992 and 2009 but is now a part of the backroom team at 2. Bundesliga side VfL Bochum.

During Zollner’s time with BVB, the club won three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League and naturally the 52-year-old has plenty of stories to tell when it comes to head coaches he worked under.

“He’s a special guy,” Zollner told Goal and SPOX of Klopp. “There were so many days when you’d think: ‘Great guy!’, but sometimes you’d think: ‘What an egocentric!’.

“One time, Jakub Blaszczykowski called me when he was coming back from the [Polish] national team. He said he couldn’t train because of a muscle injury but would still come to the team meeting.

“Before the meeting, I went to Klopp with Kuba (Blaszczykowski) and told him what was going on. He then went pretty crazy, probably because he had only just learned about Kuba’s injury at that moment. 

“Zeljko Buvac (Klopp’s former assistant) would often appear at such moments and say: ‘Kloppo, smoke a cigarette now and calm down!’. He was one of the best assistant coaches I’ve ever worked under. But Kloppo had the balls to apologise when the way he treated someone was too much.”

Asked about his exit from Dortmund, Zollner added: “From about 2008 I finally realised that something had to change. Once I came home and met my crying daughter. Her boyfriend had apparently split up with her – and I didn’t even know she had one!

“[It was also because of] the episodes such as those mentioned under Kloppo, who would sometimes call spontaneous meetings in the evening so that the end of the working day was delayed and it was no longer possible to contact the family in advance to let them know. At some point the children hardly wanted to talk to me anymore. I said: ‘now it’s over’.”

Another hugely respected head coach Zollner worked under was Ottmar Hitzfeld, with the physio explaining how he was lucky not to incur his wrath for helping a part-drunk, part-hungover Stefan Klos during a training camp.

“It was 1995 and we were at a training camp on Lake Lucerne,” Zollner continued. “It was always the case that the physio room was close to a fire escape and I usually had the key to it. Sometimes I just didn’t close the door and one night the boys went off to have a party.

“The next day I noticed right away that some of them were pretty f*cked up – especially goalkeeper Stefan Klos. So, we said to Ottmar that we were taking him out of training that day because he had a knee injury.

“The players had the afternoon off that day and many of them went water skiing. We, however, chugged over to Lucerne on a boat with Ottmar. 

“During the trip, Stefan suddenly appeared next to us on water skis, didn’t notice Ottmar, and said with a loud laugh: ‘Hey, Zolle! The knee is perfect again!’. Ottmar saw that, of course, but he said something about it because he was just a brilliant guy.”

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Hudson-Odoi making great progress in coronavirus recovery, says Lampard

The 19-year-old tested positive for the virus last week but “almost feels his usual self” as his recovery continues

Frank Lampard says Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has made great progress in his recovery from coronavirus.

The 19-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 last week , forcing Chelsea to close part of their training facilities.

The Blues reopened their training ground on Tuesday, but Hudson-Odoi and those who came into contact with him remain in isolation.

And Chelsea boss Lampard delivered positive news regarding the England international, whose recovery is going well.  

“I’m happy to say that in Callum’s case, he has made great progress and almost feels his usual self, which is obviously the news we all want to hear,” Lampard told the club’s website.

Hudson-Odoi was the first Premier League player confirmed to have contracted the virus, but many players have had to be isolated amid recent scares.

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Football has ground to a halt in Europe because of the pandemic, as many governments have banned public gatherings and ordered businesses and schools to close.

Coronavirus has claimed at least 7,500 lives worldwide since the outbreak began and there have been more than 1,900 confirmed cases in the UK.

And Lampard took the time to urge people to take care of each other in such a stressful period.

“I am of course aware that not everyone can or will recover from this virus, so I urge all of the football and sporting community to continue to act responsibly and look out for the health of others,” he added.

“I want to make it clear that I am no medical expert when it comes to challenging times such as these but please do take the time to call older relatives and vulnerable people who might be alone, or offer to drop round shopping if they can’t get out. Let’s make sure we all take care of each other.

“Social distancing can leave us feeling isolated, however we can continue to support each other even if that means doing it remotely.

“Of course we still don’t know when competitive football will restart, but it isn’t worth worrying about that too much at the moment. We all miss football, but right now it’s about acting responsibly and in the best interests of society. I am sure I wasn’t the only one who found myself in a strange place with no sport this weekend, but ultimately none of that matters when we consider the bigger picture.”

Starbucks Shifts To 'To-Go' Sales Only, Pulls Tables From Restaurants

 

(Reuters) ― Starbucks Corp. has moved to a “to go” model in all its company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada for at least two weeks to facilitate social distancing among customers amid the spread of coronavirus, the coffee chain said on Sunday.

As part of the move, Starbucks said it would also stop using seating both at its cafe and patio areas and temporarily close stores in communities with high numbers of coronavirus cases as well as malls and university campuses.

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“The situation with COVID-19 is extremely dynamic and we will continue to review the facts and science and make the proactive decisions necessary,” said Rossann Williams, president of U.S. company-operated and Canada businesses.

The company had earlier stopped accepting reusable cups and thermos flasks from customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa after announcing a similar policy in the United States.

The virus has infected over 169,000 people globally and killed more than 6,500.

 (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

UEFA and clubs pledge to complete season by June 30

After moving the Euros to 2021, the governing body wants to finish the season before a multitude of players’ contracts run out

UEFA has announced a commitment to see all European and domestic club competitions for the 2019-20 season completed by June 30.

Earlier on Tuesday, following discussions during a video conference convened by UEFA, it was announced Euro 2020 would be postponed by 12 months to account for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic upon the sporting calendar.

That theoretically freed up room for remaining club commitments to be seen through by the recognised end of the season – June 30 being the date when out-of-contract players would normally cease to be employed by their clubs.

European football is on a virtual continent-wide shutdown as part of efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19, with the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga on hold until the start of April and Ligue 1 indefinitely.

Last week, UEFA postponed its forthcoming Champions League and Europa League ties, with both competitions in the midst of their last-16 phases.

A release signed by the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, European Club Association chairman Andrea Agnelli, European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson and FIFPro Europe president Bobby Barnes specified “a commitment to complete all domestic and European club competitions by the end of the current sporting season, i.e. 30 June 2020 at the latest, should the situation improve and resuming playing be appropriate and prudent enough”.

The statement continued by outlining flexibility in terms of scheduling domestic matches in midweek slots and UEFA club competition fixtures at weekends, and added “possible adaptations” to the qualifying rounds of the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League were possible if the June 30 target date is not met.

Reports earlier on Tuesday floated June 24 and 27 as potential respective slots for the Europa League and Champions League finals.

A working group comprised of UEFA, league and club representatives will now be established to find solutions “allowing for the resumption and/or conclusion of the current season in a coherent manner”.

A second working group will be established at a later date to assess the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis and offset any adverse consequences.

Any completion of club commitments must factor in the scheduled June international break, when UEFA intends to stage qualification play-offs for what is now Euro 2021.

The Women’s Euro 2021, the 2021 European Under-21 Championship and the 2021 Nations League finals will all be rescheduled as a result of the men’s European Championship moving to July 11 to June 11 of that next year, although UEFA has not confirmed new dates for those affected tournaments at this stage.

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Loblaw CEO Promises Stores Won’t Hike Food Prices During Pandemic

While “it won’t be business as usual,” Loblaw chief executive Galen Weston urged Canadians not to worry about food shortages, price hikes or store closures amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter sent on Monday, Weston repeatedly stressed that customers “do not worry” and that Loblaw is prepared to handle the ongoing crisis that has seen Canadians flock to grocery stores, wiping shelves clean of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Loblaw operates Canada’s largest grocery store chain, as well as Shoppers Drug Mart.

“First and foremost. Do not worry. We are not running out of food or essential supplies,” Weston said.

“Our supply chain and store teams are responding to the spikes in volume and quickly getting the most important items back on the shelf. Volumes are already normalizing somewhat, and we are catching up.”

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Weston also sought to alleviate other concerns Canadians have raised regarding potential price hikes and store closures as the province and federal government reduce services in an effort to contain the coronavirus.

“We will not raise a single price on any item to take advantage of COVID-19,” Weston wrote.

“We have been in contact with both provincial and federal governments. We all agree that food and drug stores are essential services and we must do what we need to in order to keep them operating and serving every community in the days and weeks ahead.”

At the same time, Weston admitted that “it won’t be business as usual.” Some items – such as hand sanitizer – may take longer to restock. The company may limit the number of people allowed to enter stores at a single time, in order to maintain social distancing. 

Last week, Loblaw lowered home delivery fees and eliminated pick-up fees for its click-and-collect service. But as the company grapples with a spike in demand, Weston encouraged those who are healthy, mobile and symptom free to “do your best to make it into store.”

“All of us will face uncertainty and new challenges over the coming days,” Weston said.

“Our stores and our services will be far from perfect. But, we will do everything in our power to make sure you have what you need for yourselves and your families.