BUFFALO, N.Y. — As customers we may have all noticed different changes when it comes to social distancing in stores and supermarkets around the area. Now these chains are also focusing more so on their employees.
Wegmans now requires temperature scans during wellness checks of employees. Any employee having a temperature over 100 is being sent home and told to contact their doctor or telemedicine. In turn, there is contact with the local health department and sick leave policies have also been enhanced.
Tops is considering a similar temperature scan procedure.
Dash's Market is in the process of implementing those scans as well, according to president Mark Mahoney, "We have started that in two of our locations and we've ordered thermal thermometers for the other two also."
Supermarket employees now have supplies of masks and face shields along with gloves. Plexiglass shields have either been, or are still being, installed in checkout aisles. Social distancing procedures are still in place with waiting lines marked on the floor and employees and staffers are assigned aisles and summon shoppers to stagger their approach.
Also store occupancy has been restricted in some cases. According to Nick Kusmierski, co-owner of Market In the Square. Wegmans now says it is striving to limit store occupancy to 15 to 20 percent of capacity depending on conditions. Security guards or other store staffers are controlling and monitoring the flow of shoppers in and out.
The Market in the Square stores are also ready to restrict occupancy even though volume has cut down a bit as people carefully schedule and space out their shopping trips.
"A lot less shoppers in the store but they're buying more stuff," Kusmierski says. "So there's not as many people in the store as a general rule than what we've seen. But if we do see those capacity issues we will limit customers in the store."
When it comes to food supplies things have stabilized a bit and meat products can still be found, but there may eventually be shortages. Mahoney says he recently spoke with one of their suppliers.
"They're expecting the first commodity to shoot up and that will be in short supply will be beef," Mahoney said. "And then he said some indications I know...Smithfield lost one of their pork plants this week so he said pork could also be where you know on the horizon where there are some shortages."
Because of the limited hours and concerns about going into public, stores are also beefing up their delivery programs. They have some of their employees assisting to help with some delivery programs which have been swamped with orders.