PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The next time you take your Pub Sub through Publix’s checkout aisle, you may see some new protective barriers.
The Florida-based grocery chain is installing plexiglass partitions to protect its cashiers and customers from coronavirus spread.
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Publix said that within two weeks the barriers should be set up at all 1,200 of its locations. They will be installed at cash registers, customer service desks and pharmacies.
“We’re taking extra precautions for the well-being of our customers and associates,” said Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous.
Brous told the Sun Sentinel that the installations will begin this weekend.
Competitors Kroger and Walmart are also installing the so-called “sneeze guards.”
Publix has already adjusted the hours of all its locations to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., allowing stores additional time to clean and restock shelves. It is opening to only customers ages 65 and over from 7-8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Publix supermarkets are spread across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
The company announced earlier this week that an associate at a store in Cumming, Georgia, tested positive for COVID-19.