Illinois grocery stores asked to enforce social distancing to fight coronavirus
Southwestern Illinois residents can expect to see changes at grocery stores in the coming days and weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker listed several recommendations during his daily news briefing on Saturday. They ranged from floor markers to remind people to stand 6 feet apart in checkout lanes to shield guards between customers and checkers and baggers.
The recommendations were the result of talks between Pritzker’s administration and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association on how to better protect shoppers and employees from COVID-19.
“To be clear, there’s nothing new that customers need to know for shopping, other than to be vigilant about their social-distancing practices,” the governor said. “As we’re asking stores to make their requirements as clear as possible, it is up to each individual to follow our social-distancing requirements.”
Here are the recommended changes at grocery stores that Pritzker listed:
- Signs at entrances, informing customers they must stay 6 feet away from each other.
- Continuous announcements of social-distancing rules on public-address systems.
- Floor markers to show people where they should stand in checkout lanes.
- Efforts to encourage cashless purchases to move customers through lines faster.
- Dedicated staff members whose job is to walk the floor and enforce social distancing.
- Shield guards between customers and checkers and baggers.
- Temporary bans on reusable shopping bags.
- Promotion of online ordering and pickup to reduce the number of in-store shoppers.
- Greater use of self-service checkout stations.
“As your governor, I ask you to be courteous and be respectful in any interaction with the grocery store clerks and workers always, but especially as they go to work everyday (during the coronavirus pandemic).”
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 7:17 PM.
