Several retail stores in the area announced new limitations on the number of shoppers that will be allowed in their buildings at one time in order to fight the spread of COVID-19. The move to keep store populations in check is designed to promote physical distancing, a key tactic in slowing the spread of the disease.
Several retail stores in the area announced new limitations on the number of shoppers that will be allowed in their buildings at one time in order to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The move to keep store populations in check is designed to promote physical distancing, a key tactic in slowing the spread of the disease.
Walmart began on Saturday, April 4, limiting the number of customers who can be in a store. Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store’s capacity.
Associates were posted at the grocery entrance to the store at 17550 Halsted St. in Homewood to manage the number of shoppers allowed in. They were also assigned to remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they’re waiting to enter a store.
Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a “1-out-1-in” basis.
Once inside, shoppers will be asked to use one-way movement through the aisles, with floor markers as guides and to leave the store by a separate door from the one they entered.
“We expect this to help more customers avoid coming into close contact with others as they shop,” Walmart officials said in a news release. “We’ll continue to put signage inside our stores to remind customers of the need to maintain social distancing – especially in lines. We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize. We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home.”
Target and Home Depot announced that their workers would monitor the population of shoppers in stores and implement limitations when necessary.
Target also announced that over the next two weeks, all staff in stores and distribution centers will be provided with disposable face masks and gloves at the beginning of every shift.
Menards announced that pets, except service dogs, and children under 16 would no longer be allowed in stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic.