Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Jan Cecil, left, of Ironwood, goes through a Super One grocery store checkout Tuesday with Lisa Ward, front end manager. The two have a new plexiglass shield between them to protect employees and customers from coughs and sneezes during the coronavirus pandemic.
By TOM LAVENTURE
The two major grocery stores in Ironwood and neighboring Hurley, Wisconsin have installed plexiglass shields at checkout stands.
The shields are in place between the cashiers and customers to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. Cashiers are among the vulnerable essential workers who come face-to-face with the public each day during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We like them," said Lawrence Glatczak, manager of Super One Foods in Ironwood. "They are 3 feet tall and we have them at every register."
All of the Super One Foods stores now have the shields, he said. The corporate office sent out people to install them in the stores this week.
"We feel safer with them," said Lisa Ward, front end manager.
The new plexiglass is very clear because it's new, Glatczak said. He put some stickers on the glass so that people who aren't accustomed to seeing them won't "bump their nose."
"We also have lines on the floor at the checkout stand to help direct the social distancing from the person in front of you," Glatczak said.
The store has signage everywhere to remind people about social distancing and other prevention efforts, he said. There will be a large sign placed in the entrance to draw even more attention to the urgency, he said.
"The whole thing is that we're just trying to get people used to it," Glatczak said.
Store workers are now wiping down all the grocery carts after each use, he said. The store had been leaving out sanitary wipes for customers to do their own carts.
Over at Pat's Foods in Hurley, workers from corporate also installed cashier shields on Monday. Customers are adjusting to them in terms of where to stand, according to cashiers. It's a little confusing when the tendency is to want to speak around the obstacle.
"People get confused with it and will step to either side," said Morgan Nasi, cashier.
Pat's Foods cashiers wear gloves and there is also tape on the floor to encourage social distancing with the customers.
