Walmart, grocers adding sneeze guards for cashiers

Several grocery and retail chains, including Walmart, have added sneeze guards to stem the spread of coronavirus between customers and cashiers.

“Staying safe and healthy is more important than ever for our associates, our customers and for us,” Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart’s U.S. operations, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. “Installing these barriers is another way Walmart is helping bring peace of mind that we are doing everything we can to keep our people and our stores safe.”

The retail giant said it will install the barriers at both its Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies as well as at cash registers over the next few weeks, with Smith saying the stores will also add decals promoting social distancing within the store and have developed a more thorough method of cleaning carts.

Other retailers adding the feature include Kroger and Albertsons. Kroger will add the guards at checkouts at its various regional supermarket chains in the majority of states, which include Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, King Soopers, Mariano’s and QFC.

“We anticipate every check lane having a partition, including pharmacy counters and Starbucks registers, within the next several weeks,” Kristal Howard, a Kroger spokeswoman, told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Grocery stores, dubbed essential businesses amid the shutdown of various institutions amid the pandemic, have taken various measures to protect shoppers and employees, including instituting “senior hours” for shoppers who are particularly at risk from the virus.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has declared that grocery store employees are emergency workers, allowing them access to free child care.