New Rules for Grocery Stores and Pharmacies In Mass
On Wednesday, 3/25, Governor Charlie Baker, has laid out some new guidelines for stores that are “essential” during this pandemic.
In addition to the ban on using reusable bags that we posted HERE, these are the other rules he put in place:
- Stores must provide senior only hours for adults 60 years and older. It must be at least for one hour a day. These hours need to be posted in the store and enforced.
- Store must implement strategies to reduce coronavirus exposure for their customers and employees. This includes
- Hand washing facilities, including those available in public restrooms, and allowing employees sufficient time to wash hands
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, as available
- Disinfecting wipes, as available, at entrance for customers to disinfect carts, at cash registers, and other locations
- Procedures to ensure that both employees and customers remain at least six feet apart at all times.
- Salad bar or other self-serve prepared or other open food stations shall be closed
- No open free samples or tastings
- Procedures to sanitize frequent places people touch throughout the day, including key pad at the registers
- Employees who are sick should not go to work. If they have any symptom of coronavirus, they must be sent home
- Stores must accommodate employees who are high-risk. The store must assign them to lower-exposure work assignments or allow them to stay home
- Grocery stores should be closed to the public for a period of time every night to allow for stores to be properly sanitized and restocked
- Store cannot charge for recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags or single-use plastic bags
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