Tim Hortons is cancelling its iconic Roll Up The Rim giveaway over concerns the campaign may expose staff to the novel coronavirus.
In a statement on Friday, Tim Hortons didn’t mention Covid-19 by name but still made it clear that health concerns are behind the decision.
“Tim Hortons does not believe it’s the right time for team members in our restaurants to collect rolled up tabs that have been in people’s mouths during this current public health environment.”
Of the $30 million in prizes that were supposed to be given out, Tim Hortons will be redirecting $16 million to their online contests and $14 million to other in-store giveaways.
Tim Hortons is not the only chain that has changed its practices to mitigate Covid-19 concerns. McDonald’s, Second Cup and Starbucks have all taken similar actions, including temporary bans on accepting reusable cups.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Canada has risen dramatically in the past week with 65 cases of coronavirus in four provinces as of Monday.
Six of the latest cases of coronavirus in Canada have been from individuals who were on a U.S.-based cruise ship recently. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theresa Tam is now warning Canadians to avoid going on cruises for the foreseeable future.
With Tam and other health officials warning that the government may not be able to prevent an outbreak in Canada as the virus approaches pandemic status, the government had advised Canadians to be prepared by stockpiling essential goods and medications.
