Publix will install partitions in response to coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted Publix to install the kind of protection usually associated with keeping bullets from gas station or pawnshop workers.
Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous confirmed that the Lakeland, Florida-based supermarket chain will be putting plexiglass at all checkout lanes, pharmacies and customer service desks. Chain-wide installation, set to begin this weekend, is expected to take two weeks.
Coronavirus transmission occurs via respiratory droplets and social distancing of six feet is nearly impossible for those working in those areas. On Monday, Publix announced that a worker at a Cumming, Georgia, Publix had tested positive for COVID-19.
“The store completed a disinfection-level deep cleaning of the store,” the chain announced, “in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Department of Public Health.”
In explaining why employees aren’t wearing masks and most aren’t wearing gloves, Publix says it’s “following guidance from the CDC and does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses. ... Our associates who work in prepared food environments are required to wear gloves while performing job duties but associates who don’t work in these environments should not wear gloves. Good hygiene practices, like washing hands often with soap and water, are always encouraged.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 8:56 AM.
