Philadelphia Supermarket Uses Plastic Tents To Keep Cashiers Safe At Work

A Philadelphia supermarket raised the bar in protecting their essential workers by putting up tent-like plastics at the cashier's side of the checkout line. The plastic enclosure was meant to keep the workers safe while at work.

As per NYPost, the setup was captured by 19-year-old Alexander Tavares and uploaded the footage on social media. The "tents" were constructed to help prevent the virus from spreading.

The video that Tavares posted online, which already garnered more than a million views, showed the checkouts, all with tent-like plastic enclosures. It also showed one cashier exiting the enclosure and spritzing disinfectant towards the camera.

Tavares' video garnered a lot of positive reactions. One viewer commented that the said Philadelphia supermarket is a "grocery store that cares about its employees." Another commented that it is a way of protecting the workers who are also on the front line.

Accordingly, the shop opted for the plastic measures after reports of at least 12 workers in the food-industry sector died of COVID-19. A number of supermarkets were not able to immediately implement measures to protect their workers. It was reported that a grocery clerk left behind a heartbreaking video for her family after she contracted the deadly virus.

One of the supermarkets that caught the attention of the public was Trader Joe's. It reportedly did not allow their register attendants to wear gloves. Another store, Publix, was reportedly prohibiting their workers from wearing masks, and it was already in late March.

Because of this, many turned to online grocery shopping. However, web-based grocers also have to deal with meeting growing demands, especially on products that are mostly ordered by consumers. Aside from the issue on stocks, limited staff is another problem that they face.

In the process, shoppers' buying habits were also revealed. In supermarkets, some of the shelves are virtually empty, while there are those that still have products left. Some of the "last to go" items are lunchables and pizza sauce. This goes to show that with kids at home, the need for lunchables diminished. As for making pizza during the lockdown, people seem to have other things in mind, which is why there is still a lot of pizza sauce on the shelf.