MEDFORD, Ore. — Safeway and Albertsons stores are adding additional safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
By the end of this week, store representatives say all Oregon stores will have plexiglass barriers on check-out lanes.
The glass helps protect against coughing and sneezing and will soon be installed in the more than 2,200 stores across the country.
It’s also adding social distancing markers by putting red squares on the floor. That’s to ensure customers stand 6 feet a part from the person in front of them when they’re waiting in line.
“We ask that people stay home if they’re sick, but we know that it may not always go that way and sometimes people, right now, may not even know that they’re carrying [the virus]. So some of these extra precautions hopefully are going to help prevent the spread,” said Jill McGinnis, director of communications and public affairs for Albertsons Companies.
McGinnis says front line employees will be getting a 2 dollar an hour pay increase as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for working during this difficult time.
Seniors and people who are more at risk for the virus can take advantage of the stores special hours on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 7 am to 9 am.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.