The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Big stores still open prioritize safety
But some businesses unsure Gov. Kemp’s orders applied to them.
Ed Bentley was in the market for some doorknobs, screws and a new toilet for one of his rental properties.
So he made his way to the Home Depot in east Cobb. There he was met with a line of customers waiting outside the door and a new policy. Only a limited number of customers were allowed in at one time. For a customer to enter the store, another had to exit.
It was part of the store’s efforts to adhere to recommended social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus outbreak.
“I was a little bit surprised, but I wasn’t mad,” said Bentley, a general contractor who posted about it on social media Monday morning. “I am all for social distancing. I am big on let’s try to stay away from each other.”
By Monday evening, an executive order from Gov. Brian Kemp would direct all businesses and institutions to either stop allowing more than 10 people to gather or to come up with their own policies for keeping people at least 6 feet apart.
Kemp gave the state Department of Public Health the power to shut down violators. The agency is working out the details of the executive order, a spokesperson said.
Margaret Smith, a spokesperson for Home Depot, said the east Cobb store’s decision to limit how many shoppers can enter the building was not a corporate mandate, but added that managers have the discretion to do what they feel they need to do.
She said there are markers at cash registers to aid in keeping customers 6 feet apart, as well as constant announcements reminding people to keep their distance from one another.
Before Kemp’s edict, other businesses also had already taken measures to eliminate close contact.
Best Buy announced that all large-item deliveries, like refrigerators and TVs, would be dropped off at doorsteps — not inside houses.
It’s also not allowing customers inside stores. Instead, it has instituted curbside service for orders placed on the retailer’s website or via its app.
But on Tuesday, some businesses weren’t sure the governor’s instructions applied to them. A few nail salons, hairdressers and barbers remained open, though many appeared empty of customers.
“Six feet? That is pretty much impossible,” Travis Sanders, at Haircuts by Travis in south Cobb County, said of the governor’s directive. “You can’t cut someone’s hair remotely.”
Sanders has seen the number of customers at the shop nosedive in the past two weeks.
“The thing about the virus is, bills are still due,” said Sanders. “Rents are still due. Lights, water, gas. And if I’m not cutting, I’m not earning.”
In the city of Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed a 14-day stay-at-home order with the exception of “essential” services and businesses, like grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, laundromats and restaurants serving takeout.
Rena Barrow is seven months pregnant and has been working as a pharmacy technician at a north Fulton Walgreens since 2007. With three children at home, including one with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, Barrow worries.
“I am concerned about highrisk employees, over 65, or like myself, are not being taken care of,” said Barrow. Her doctor has recommended that she stay home because of the pregnancy, but she said it is unclear if she will get paid since it doesn’t fall under sick or maternity leave.
“I don’t want a situation where people are being forced to work or forced to come in because they have no other options,” Barrow said. “The whole thing is overwhelming and concerning, something that pregnant people shouldn’t have to go through.”
In Georgia, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 1,000, with at least 32 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon. The threat to workers at essential businesses is real.
On Monday, Publix reported that an associate at the store on Buford Highway in Cumming had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus.
Maria Brous, a spokeswoman for the grocery chain, said the company is emphasizing public health experts’ guidelines for employees, including avoiding close contact with others, staying home for at least 72 hours if exhibiting coldlike symptoms, and repeated hand washing.
The company is also offering emergency “pandemic pay” for eligible absences due to the coronavirus.
“As part of our general response to COVID-19, we have already implemented a heightened disinfection program focusing on high-touch surfaces like touchpads, door and drawer handles, phones and computers,” Brous told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We have also taken additional in-store measures, such as suspending food demonstrations, to focus on the health and safety of our associates, our customers and our community.”
City Farmers Market, a chain with six metro Atlanta locations that specializes in international and specialty foods, is now screening all customers for fevers.
Over the weekend, Kroger announced that it will provide a one-time bonus to its employees, amounting to $300 for fulltime associates and $150 for parttime workers.
“Our associates are working around the clock to keep our stores open for our customers. I am incredibly grateful for all they are doing,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “The true heroes in this story are our associates, and we want to provide them with additional resources and support to help them continue their remarkable effort.”
By Monday evening, an executive order from Gov. Brian Kemp would direct all businesses and institutions to either stop allowing more than 10 people to gather or to come up with their own policies for keeping people at least 6 feet apart.