Grocery stores are the coronavirus tipping point

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

One of the last bastions of normal American life could not escape the outbreak.

For a couple of weeks now, grocery stores have been one of the only respites from cabin fever. Despite all the lockdowns and social-distancing measures across America, people still need food. In the most restrictive states, the grocery store has become about the last place you can go where life is lived more or less as it previously was.

Except now, not even grocery stores can keep up the facade of normalcy. As many health experts have feared, last week, reports began to trickle in of grocery-store workers coming down with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. A Trader Joe’s employee in Seattle tested positive. So did a King Soopers employee in Denver, along with two Fred Meyer employees: one in Monroe, Washington, and one in Portland, Oregon. A worker at the Columbus Circle and Bryant Park Whole Foods locations in New York, through which thousands of people filter every day, tested positive as well.

So far, the virus does not appear to be extremely widespread among grocery workers. Nationally, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents the employees of some grocery stores, told me only six of its members are known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. But many more might have the virus and have not been tested. Until this past week, it was possible to at least wishfully imagine that grocery stores were somehow immune to the virus. Now the risk has become even more apparent: Yes, people can get COVID-19 at the grocery store.

The primary concern for shoppers is other people, not food. Though shoppers might worry about infecting themselves by handling the same apple or Cheerios box as someone else, health experts say transmission through food or its wrapping is largely avoidable. Research suggests that the virus can exist on cardboard food packaging for a day, and on plastic for several days, but it becomes less infectious over these periods. “My recommendation is just to wash your hands after you handle external packaging,” Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, says. “High-touch” objects such as shopping-cart handles are a bigger concern, but many stores have provided sanitizing wipes for those.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/grocery-stores-are-the-coronavirus-tipping-point/ar-BB11DZiC?li=BBnbfcL

[herding cats]

1. The problem is waiting in line for an hour to get in, then waiting again to get out.

I feel so vulnerable the whole time.

I do appreciate that they're limiting the number of people in the stores vs. sq. footage of the building though. We all still seem to be smushing up trying to get the essentials, though.

[Tercules]

11. Where do you live where you're in line for an hour?

Here in the Raleigh suburbs, very few people in the stores, only 2 or 3 registers open and no more than one or two people in each line. And aside from hand sanitizer, pretty much everything is available the last couple trips I made. Even TP and paper towels (limit one per person). Meat section was a little bare, but not empty. And they restock it every day.

[herding cats]

13. Austin, Texas.

It's horrific trying to get food and unless you're there before the store opens, you're not going to get the basics you need. Curbside is now completely booked up. Zero open slots. Luckily they've limited the basics to 2 per person so I'm hopeful I'll do better when I go back in in two days. Milk, bread and eggs were the hardest things to get for the girls. It's nuts!

Texas topped 1000 cases today. It's heading to you, too. So plan ahead and please be safe.

[Texasgal]

25. Fellow Austinite here

I Have given up on HEB and Randalls. I have found some success at Fiesta...but still...I've not been able to find basics.

[herding cats]

29. It's nuts, right?

Mostly I just need milk. The girls are littles (2 and 3) and need (preferably) organic milk to limit their exposure to hormones, but right now I'm just looking for any milk. I've given up the better over anything else fight. This is short term and it won't break them for a tiny bit.

Eggs would be nice, as would any bread that's not white. But, I'm taking what I can get right now.

[Texasgal]

36. I cannot imagine having young children

during this crisis! I am a young widow. So I am alone.

I heard that Central Market and Whole foods is pretty stocked... for me.. this is not an option. Too expensive for my blood!

I hope you are able to find your needs! PM me with your info and I'll keep a lookout!

[herding cats]

42. PM'd you.

Thank you.

[Luz]

49. Try small non-corp convenience stores. I've seen some there.

[area51]

41. Welcome to DU, Tercules.

I have relatives in NC.

[Tercules]

46. Thanks!

Was a long time lurker, but eventually had to break the seal and start posting. Love it in NC, 2 hours from great beaches, 3 hours to the mountains. 20 minutes from several lakes. Moved here from Chicago. Didn't care for Raleigh when I was younger, but now that I'm older and have 2 teens, can't imagine bringing them up in a big city. Raleigh's a great place to raise a family.

[cannabis_flower]

37. Perhaps

The cars coming in should get a number instead of standing in line. When your number comes up, you get to go in.

[herding cats]

43. That's up to the grocery chains.

I'm not sure how they'd implement it, but it does sound good.

[dawg day]

2. I've been going to a couple little local shops

They don't have fresh meat, but there's some deli stuff and the usual canned food. And cleaning! I scored a jug of bleach. I am putting a splash into a pot of warm water for cleaning.

And it feels good to support mom and pop stores. The cashier and stocker are wearing latex gloves.

[JenniferJuniper]

3. I wear disposable gloves and

a mask, for what it's worth. At least I can't touch my face.

The problem is the empty shelves. No toilet paper, paper towels, rice, many other limited items.

My fear is that these will eventually shut down as well, or be open only very limited hours. That will really cause panic.

[Flaleftist]

6. Different trucks arrive at diffferent times.

Product is being delivered, but it goes fast. Ask them when they expect the truck for the items you want and show up a couple hours later. That gives them time to offload the trucks and stock the shelves.

[panader0]

8. People said I'd be good with just gloves and a mask, but they lied.

Everyone else had clothes on.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. How inconsiderate of them!

[LastDemocratInSC]

14. You win the thread!

[montana_hazeleyes]

31. Love this!

[Lucky Luciano]

38. Heheh!

[Steelrolled]

12. I think they are catching up

as more people are fully stocked up.

[KentuckyWoman]

4. Word today is that Kroger is installing sneeze guards for cashiers

Well past time for that I'm sorry to say... I've seen some pretty rude behavior in the checkouts over the years.

[marybourg]

19. Tonite the carts were behind a barrier

with a sign that said "These carts have been pre-sanitized".

[marybourg]

5. My supermarket was pretty empty

tonite. And I got everything on my short list. Noone was wearing a mask or gloves. People werr pretty much spacing out. I mean spacing themselves out.

[2naSalit]

16. Either way

it sounds funny!

[alfredo]

7. Our Kroger stores have set aside the hours 7-8 AM for seniors.

I was able to get everything on my shop0ing list. The only problem was trying to find the cheaper store brand items. That jacked up my bill to one hundred. Still, I have plenty frozen veggies And essential canned goods and a jar of sauerkraut

I was surprised they ran out of WW flour. This, I thought, was a white bread neighborhood. Pleasant discovery.

[Generic Brad]

9. I ordered online for scheduled pickup today

My appointment is in three days. Inconvenient? Absolutely. But it provides protection to me and the grocery store employees. I’ll shop this way as long as the threat continues.

[herding cats]

15. Ha! 3 days is a dream!

My last pickup was ordered on March 19th. My earliest pickup was April 2nd. There's no guarantee I'll get anything I ordered and many people are saying they're getting less than half.

Now there are zero pickup slots available anymore. So, back to showing up an hour before the store opens and standing in queue.

[Generic Brad]

21. No guarantees for me either

The reality of the food situation has not sunk in with my wife yet. We have around 6 weeks of food in our pantry. She wanted to hold off shopping for four more weeks. I insisted that if we don’t try to supplement our store with a few fresh items soon, we may run out when she wants to replenish. I expect significant and prolonged shortages of many items we just assume will always be there.

It took a lot of convincing before she agreed to place our small order.

[herding cats]

32. My heat is with you both.

You're the reverse of my husband and me. He couldn't grasp that things might begin to break, and I've been worried for several weeks.

Sadly, I only just a couple of weeks ago (too late!) learned I could have ferreted away milk for the little ladies and froze it. They (they're littles) drink whole milk which apparently freezes well. I wish I'd have known earlier.

[CountAllVotes]

39. what?

Do tell!

I have four 1/2 gallons of Horizon Oraganic milk and the pull day is mid-May.



I hate to waste any of it.

I never knew you could freeze it!

Thanks for the tip!

[herding cats]

40. Drink a few inches down for expansion and you're set!

I wish I'd have known that earlier, too!

Shake when it's thaws and you're good.

[thesquanderer]

47. No need to open and drink some. At least the half gallon cartons work find sealed.

They're not filled to the brim anyway.

[thesquanderer]

48. Sealed cardboard half gallons in the freezer work fine. 8 minutes in the microwave to thaw, IIRC. nt

[CountAllVotes]

50. I do not have a microwave oven

How long for a half gallon to thaw?

Thank you for a reply!

[thesquanderer]

51. I don't know. Just move it to the fridge and wait. A day, maybe? n/t

[northoftheborder]

53. My pickup order yesterday can't be picked up for two weeks!

[ooky]

17. Placed my first grocery on-line order last night with Harris Teeter.

My scheduled pick up is Thursday morning. They load it into my hatchback and we wave goodbye. They waive the service fee for seniors (60+) on Monday's and Thursday. This is how I plan to shop into the foreseeable future. I have zero interest of going inside any public place.

[Bayard]

18. Here's what I don't understand

We are not supposed to hoard groceries, at the same time we are not supposed to go out. You can't have both.

We stocked up. A lot of things that I hear people complaining they can't get now. Should last us at least a month. I just changed my prescriptions over to be delivered by mail.

I feel as bad for the grocery store workers, as I do for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. We are all so stressed right now, and that makes us more susceptible to illness in general.

[The Magistrate]

20. Odd Who Turns Out To Be Society's Front Line, Sir

Grocery stockers and cashiers, delivery drivers, pharmacy staffs....

[eleny]

22. Hello!!!

I haven't seen you posting in ages. But if you've been back a while then belated Hi!

[The Magistrate]

23. Just A Few Days, Ma'am

A week, actually, checking the date....

Thank you.

[eleny]

26. You've been missed

[lpbk2713]

24. Hello Magistrate

It seems like old times.

[eleny]

28. Doesn't it?!

[herding cats]

45. We never appreciate them enough.

I've been them, so my heart leans more tender in their direction.

I have to add again, I'm so happy to see you back and well! (Ignore me, I'll get over this soon... maybe?)

[elleng]

27. Problems abound everywhere.

This, from President of my grocery store chain:

To Our Customers,

As we face more restrictions on social interaction, we are all adjusting to a new way of living. All businesses, including Giant Food, are adapting operations to comply with new CDC guidelines to protect your health and safety. Supermarkets, as well as our vendor and distribution partners, are essential services right now. Our associates, who report to work each day, choose to do so with the mission of serving and providing for their neighbors and our communities.

I am extraordinarily proud of and grateful to our store teams, pharmacists, and distribution and supply chain associates for their dedication. Our first priority is always the health and safety of our associates and customers. With our teams serving on the frontline of this crisis, we are continuously focused on putting measures in place to improve safety for our associates as well as our customers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, shopping in our stores will be a different experience, but we hope that you will understand the steps we are taking to provide a safer environment and do your part to support our efforts. Here is what you may see during your next visit:

Social Distancing & Plexiglass Shields
You will see signage and new procedures in our stores to encourage social distancing (staying six feet apart from other people). We are also in the process of installing temporary plexiglass shields for higher-traffic areas, such as our pharmacies, cash registers, and customer service desks. You will begin to see these additional measures in place over the coming days, and we will continue to pursue ways to enhance safety and protection during these unprecedented times.

Associates in Masks and Gloves
While still not recommended by the CDC for people who are not sick, we appreciate that some of our associates have continued to express interest in wearing surgical masks and/or gloves while at work. As such, associates with an interest in doing so may wear a surgical mask and/or gloves during their shift. We want to assure you, if you see an associate wearing a mask, it does not mean that the associate is ill. If an associate is not feeling well or is demonstrating any signs of being sick, they have been instructed not to report to work under any circumstances.

Security Presence
Our Asset Protection teams are working around the clock to protect you and prevent disruptions in our stores. We have allocated additional resources to ensure the safety of our associates and customers.

We understand the anxiety that this situation is causing for everyone. We are all in this together. The Giant Food leadership team meets daily to collect and assess the feedback that we are receiving from our associates and customers. We are committed to listening and understanding the concerns that are expressed to us and will do our best to meet the needs that arise.

Please stay safe and healthy and know that your local Giant Food will remain ready to serve when you need us.

Ira Kress,
Interim President, Giant Food

[secondwind]

30. We're doing our grocery shopping online. It's a great way to shop these days.

[napi21]

33. All our local grocery stores have set aside special hours for seniors which is very nice. My hubby

does most of the grocery shopping. He used to be a meat cutter for Publix and not only knows the store but how to pick produce & meat. He's an early bird ( really unlike me!) and goes shopping around 7-8 AM. He wipes his hands with provided hand sanitizer wipes, hen wipes the cart handle. He does the shopping, checks out, loads the car, returns the cart & wipes his hands again with a hand sanitizer wipe.

Ao far there haven't been any lines. In fact he said there wasn't more than 6-8 people in the whole store most of the time. We live in a suburb of North Georgia with a population of 4-5 million people. I'm sure it would be different if we were in a big city.

[C Moon]

34. The Albertson's near us had santizing wipes for years, now they are no longer there.

:/

I put on gloves (most shoppers do). Today, I noticed the checkout counters have plastic screens between the shopper and the cashier.
When I get back to the car I use sanitizer before driving, and wash my hands after putting away the groceries.
Damn. This is freaky. Going to the grocery store is now such an arduous ordeal.

[PubliusEnigma]

35. You can stay 6 feet away from people until you get to the Credit Card machine

[Hekate]

44. Am picking up tips from DU tonight about online shopping & Instacart...

We are just going to have to do it, and soon.

[LisaL]

52. I use amazon prime.

They bring food and other things and leave them outside in bags. Of course like everything else right now, Amazon is overwhelmed. But I managed to get several orders delivered.