NEW ORLEANS — Grocery stores and other essential businesses are taking extra steps to try and protect their employees and customers.
You might notice some stores now have clear shields at checkout between customers and cashiers. It's an effort to eliminate direct contact and face to face interaction as much as possible.
"We have to be proactive and we have to be creative," said Adam Acquistapace, Co-Owner at Acquistapace's Supermarket.
Acquistapace's Market acted quickly. They've had plexiglass barriers at their Northshore locations for about three weeks now.
"We used to have the keypad over here and we moved the keypad to the other side of the plexiglass," Acquistapace said.
Acquistapace said he recognized one of the most vulnerable locations for employees and customers was at checkout since they're more likely to have direct contact here.
"We were trying to find whatever we considered a sensitive point in the business," he said.
He drew out the idea and made a call to his cousin who works in construction.
"We said 'can you build this' and he said 'I guess.' I said 'well we need it done like today,'" Acquistapace said.
Other businesses like Lowe's and the post office are doing the same. Other grocery stores including Rouse's Market, Robert's Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, and Winn-Dixie are adding them as well.
"Everything we can think of we're giving a try," said Rouse's CEO Donny Rouse.
About half of Rouse's Market stores have plexiglass shields installed. The rest of the locations should have them by the end of the week.
"The plexiglass, we started seeing that at some grocery stores on the west coast and up in New York. We're trying out anything we can do to keep our customers and employees safe," Rouse said. "We're cutting it ourselves and installing it in the evening ourselves."
It offers a barrier between the customer and cashier, keeping both a little safer.
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