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Area grocery stores being responsible during pandemic

Just about everybody has had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This includes essential industries such as grocery stores. That’s understandable; people need food. Not everyone has a backup freezer where they can store weeks or even months worth of food.

Some local gardeners grow their own fruits and vegetables, but again, not everyone is set up for this since some people have greenhouses or hoop houses while others do not. It’s also April in the Upper Peninsula, which is not exactly the peak outdoor growing season.

So, people continue to rely on grocery stores for their food needs.

That also means they have to leave the relative safety of their homes and venture out into the world.

Fortunately, local grocers are taking steps to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spreading into the community.

For example, Meijer just announced it is implementing new processes to make the company’s stores safer. The retailer is trying to limit the number of customers in stores and is conducting daily health screenings and temperature checks of team members when they come to their stores.

Protective plexiglass shields are being installed at all check lanes and pharmacies.

Walmart also is limiting the number of customers in its stores at one time.

And if you walk into a store, things might look a little different too. Fresh deli sections probably are closed, with their offerings instead offered in packages. Employees also might be wearing masks and gloves, and gently reminding customers to practice social distancing guidelines of at least 6 feet.

Yes, it is a different world now, and we hope it’s just temporary.

So, it’s good to see that places where people could congregate in large numbers, such as grocery stores, are taking precautions to let people still buy food, but as safely as possible.

Of course, people have to cooperate too. Only one shopper per family should go inside a store on a trip, and when inside, they should keep at least 6 feet away from another person. It also wouldn’t hurt for them to wear masks themselves.

The community, as well as the rest of the world, still is trying to get a grasp of pandemic conditions. Taking needed precautions is an important part of flattening the pandemic curve.

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