Discussions

in Brandon on Saturday morning. I went to Superstore - there was an employee at the door with a hand held counter - counting off the number of people entering the store. I also went to Giant Tiger and they were reminding customers about social distancing over the intercom. Everyone was good about keeping their distance at GT. At Superstore, I did see an employee tell a customer to give him space as he was restocking. The employee then stepped back and let the customer get his produce.  
So all good at the places I had to get to.  
Happy to have got my things done and back home in the country enjoying the quiet life

and their employees are doing a good job but now we need customers to follow the rules. last night shopping there was a guy looking at grapes and he had his hands in a few bags checking the fruit out! Needless to say I didn't want to buy grapes after that! Come one people! Keep your hands out of the bags!

When i’ve got someone standing in an isle reading all the ingredients off the back of an item, i can’t social distance as I need to move around them. Even an “excuse me” only has them shuffle forward half a foot or so. Mind you this isn’t a new thing but a constant annoyance lol. People like to touch every single fruit and vegetable before they buy it, which once again is not a new thing.. just funnier how we are all more aware of people having zero manners, or any thoughts of others when situations like this arise.  
 
I’ve noticed most stores and employees are doing a great job of social distancing and cleaning though. Its a ton of extra work for the employees. Especially at establishments where the entire till area is fully sanitized between each customer etc. Kudos to all the employees putting in a ton of extra work to keep everyone as safe as possible.

This a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of thing. I also thought the same when I heard stores were limiting hours, but on the other hand, the staff needs more 'customer-free' time to do all the extra sanitizing that we expect, and at the moment, to keep up with restocking, at least as much as they can without causing bottlenecks in aisles in light of attempts to maintain social distancing.

we have had an impossible situation sprung upon us.  
 
If i have to see another person buying a small handful of things while touching every single item and putting it back.....I'm gonna have an aneurysm.

Theres absolutely NO reason that a family should be going shopping together. If theres a family of 5, only ONE person out of the household should be able to go shopping.  
 
Also if people are coming back from their vacation, DO NOT go to the stores. Head home and self isolate for 14 days!

agreed but just the last two days alone i have seen full family shoppers.  
 
It's usually a wife doing all the work while the husband stands around with the kids.  
Too many people who's feeble minds cannot grasp the seriousness of the situation and just continue on about their daily routine like there isn't a pandemic happening in the world right now.

To everyone saying “keep your hands out of the bags” and “dont touch fruit and veggies”,  
 
fresh fruit and veggies arent cheap, Im not about to spend money on something thats not of my liking.  
Fresh produce is exactly that, fresh...  
texture and firmness change quickly over time and I will absolutely feel things before I buy, pandemic or not lol  
obviously if someones sick i would hope theyre not manhandling all the produce, but I think its important to understand why people touch!  
 
Its your responsibility as the consumer to WASH your fruit and veggies when you get home.  
 
I was in Walmart yesterday and thought staff and shoppers were doing a great job! Saw carts being wiped down and staff were still friendly

So many problems with your logic. Yes, this stuff is expensive, but we're trying to stop a pandemic from killing people. Just suspend your privilege while it's a public health necessity. Yes, people who are sick shouldn't be shopping and handling the produce. But people who aren't sick can also be carrying the virus. There's no way to know if anyone else, or even you, might be spreading it this way. Yes, you should wash your produce before you consume it, but how much stuff did you touch, after handling the produce in the store, before you got home to wash it? If you want to touch the produce before you buy it, maybe you could stick your hand in one of the produce bags off the roll and then turn it inside out when you're done.  
 
Really, every little thing you can do helps.  
 
Pretending we can go on with our lives without changing all the behaviours that are in our control is about the most dangerous thing you can do right now. For you, and for everyone.

People really don't get it. And I doubt much short of an eye in the sky keeping tabs on all and enforcing the distancing will achieve much.  
 
Kind of like those drones they had in China who's sole purpose was apparently to chase down people without masks.

At these locations in the store, maybe slip one of the plastic bags supplied for your fruit and veggies over a hand.  
Then you can feel for bruising and firmness and you haven't contaminated any food.

Stop being so paranoid. People can still touch things like fruits and vegetables. When you get home and before you put them away wash them thoroughly, like you should have been doing before the Corona virus was a thing anyway. People that pick your fruits/veggies touch them, people that box them touch them, people that load them in the truck touch them, people that stock them on the shelves touch them. Literally so many hands touch your food before it even hits the store. Touching the door handle on the coolers, shopping carts, literally everything in a grocery store gets touched so don't just freak out about fruits and vegetables. WASH YOUR HANDS!!!! (and your food!!)  
 
Edited by Jackson67, 2020-03-24 10:31:49

We went to our local Co-op grocery store yesterday and an employee was standing by the door to only allow 50 people in and also to remind us not to touch the produce. I agree though that it's very tempting to touch as most judge what they want by this method, so using a clear plastic bag should be acceptable and of course wash your produce before consuming and as a previous poster has said, many hands have touched this before you. Stay safe and practice physical distancing.

I have seen is at my local Costco. I have seen nothing else like it....  
 
So imagine the average Costco - in and out at the same door at the front of the store.  
 
Now imagine six feet of pallets stacked in front of the entrance. You are greeted by one woman, who, wearing full protective gear, wipes the handle of a cart and hands you it, showing you on the ground two stickers and explains "keeping 6ft away from anyone else."  
 
You are then directed to "the gauntlet" as I call it. It is a row of overturned shopping carts the length of the store - and I think you understand how long that is - it goes all the way to the end of the store and weaves back and forth twice, similar to a bank line, with pieces of tape every six feet to remind you to social distance. Then you have to wait at the door until the next attendant lets you in (keeping strictly to the 50 person limit). Once in, another attendant reminds you verbally and by pointing to signs that there are limits of x,y, and z on certain products. You are then allowed to shop as normal with attendants in various places holding wipes.  
 
At the pharmacy, which is the only side service they have open, they have tables in front of the windows so that you cannot physically get close. Once you have paid for your pres:cription, another attendant wipes down the pin pad and table.  
 
The food counter has been left open but all tables and condiments removed and attendants help you with fountain drinks, etc.  
 
Through it all, they still have the most pleasant and cordial staff.  
 
Just a reminder to everyone - when shopping, do not take out your bad mood on the workers. They are doing their best and working hard to keep the supply chain moving. I find myself thanking grocery workers even more than usual lately.

Yes i have seen every point of or food chain, you guys have no idea how many people are in contact and touch your food, yes even fresh food, on the way from store to field! Yes this is a pandemic and "new " territory but there are probably at least a dozen people who touch your food and more that are close enough for their germs to land on the veggies, if this scares you and you dont trust washing your veggies first cook them or buy canned/frozen  
 
Another thing to think about is that all viruses need a certain amount of particles to infect a person, IDK what the ID50 number is for covid-19 but washing veggies & hands ect will defiantly reduce the particles and help keep you safe, you can wash in a vinegar solution to help kill germs as well without harming your veggies.  
 
Remember mental health is a factor too, dont stress to much it reduces your immune system and just makes you unhappy  
 
ps i dont mind the plastic bag idea, so much for the environment tho  
 
Edited by traveller, 2020-03-24 12:33:55

YES we all get it that lots of people have handled everything we buy. We're not saying this will eliminate the risk. We're saying it will reduce the risk. You can't control what happened before you up the chain, but you CAN control what happens next. One more person handling something is one more risk. Why add even one unnecessary risk to the chain? There are alternatives. No, this isn't going off the deep end. It's taking a responsible action that means one more small thing to help reduce the risk.  
 
We want our freedom. But the more we ignore the simple things we can do to make small differences, the closer we come to needing a more authoritarian restriction on our basic lives. Sorry, nobody wants to think about that, but it's looking like the only thing that will work.

We got home on 23rd , three 10 hr days of travel. Supper was Tims at Virden and GREAT! Neighbor in condo shopped for me but did not get my first email so got that fixed and have food for a week with some exceptions. I have found it very difficult to get info about food deliveries . It gets very tempting to run across Victoria Ave for eggs and baking potatoes (and dark choc covered almonds). I think I will try CO-OP from the comments so far.  
 
Edited by marniesmom, 2020-03-26 14:06:49

We also are in self-isolation re travel. I called West End Sobeys she gave me an email address to send my order rather than her taking it by phone. It worked very well and they did call once order was shopped to see if I would like substitutions. I had no issues and it was delivered right to doorstep. Very happy with service.

I was at Safeway this morning. Spray was out to sanitize your carts. Staff was out stocking. It was easy to maintain distance passing. Did see one lady chatting with a staff person, asking way too many questions and talking about other things. I suppose the staff person had a choice to respond. But things got very close up as the conversation went on. Seems rather risky. The customer in the end thanked her for working. Lines were a bit long. Stood behind the red tape but only problem is as in line people are passing very close to get by and up and down aisles as they continue to shop. I wish Safeway had plexi glass for their cashiers., maybe still coming. The couple ahead of me having a conversation with the cashier and she was quite involved. Again way too much close talking going on. I am normally all for being friendly and social but not the time. Please refrain from talking beyond what’s needed for the safety of the great staff working during this crazy time and for everyone else’s health too.

I talked to sobeys south yesterday and they're doing same day deliveries still. Not too overwhelmed yet. He said monday to Friday, no charge right now, no minimum order, and you still get the sale prices. Just call in the morning.

Chances of dying from an aneurism are quite a bit higher than from Covid...