Plexiglass in place: Notice the vertical lines on the left and right
March 27. By Dave Yochum. Who knew that supermarket employees would be on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. They’re working almost around the clock to keep the shelves stocked as the stay-at-home order sinks in. The Harris Teeter on Old Jetton has installed plexiglass shields to keep cashiers out of harm’s way—and vice versa.
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix will also install plexiglass shields at checkout lanes, pharmacies and customer service desks. Chain-wide installation could take two weeks.
COVID-19 can be spread by respiratory droplets. Social distancing of 6 feet is nearly impossible for cashiers.
A Publix worker in Georgia tested positive for COVID-19 this week.
Grocers are deep cleaning stores based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Publix, employees are disinfecting carts for customers to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Cornelius Today reporters have spotted an increasing number of customers wearing latex gloves and/or facial masks while shopping.
At Food Lion Friday mornning
Toilet paper is still hit or miss, likewise meat and some fresh vegetables. The chicken section at Food Lion was virtually cleaned out early this morning. You can mostly forget about hand sanitizer—depending on where and when you shop.
Food Lion Feeds, meanwhile, is donating $50,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to provide more than 3,000 boxes of food and supplies for local families in need. The donation is part of $600,000 in pledged donations the retailer has made to help its neighbors in need as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“This is a time of unprecedented need and we applaud partners like Food Lion for taking a leadership role in making sure everyone in our region has enough to eat,” said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest.
Grocers are taking steps to protect their workers as well, including expanding access to personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves.
While supplies of protective masks and gloves are limited, employers and policymakers are prioritizing masks and gloves for grocery workers as they become available.
