CT grocery/retail store limitations go into effect today; alcohol delivery OK

Beginning today, all retail establishments in Connecticut ”“ including grocery stores ”“ must implement the following practices, as ordered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development in consultation with the Department of Public Health.

Occupancy, store layout, and managing customer flow

• Occupancy capped at 50% of store capacity. At entrance, staff will maintain a count of the number of customers entering and exiting stores.
• Clearly mark 6-foot spacing in lines on floor at checkout lines and other high-traffic areas and, as much as practicable, provide ways to encourage 6-foot spacing in lines outside the store.
• Post conspicuous signage and floor markings to direct customers and limit bottlenecks and/or encourage spacing and flow in high-density areas.
• Have aisles be one-way in stores where practicable to maximize spacing between customers. Identify the one-way aisles with conspicuous signage and/or floor markings.
• Maximize space between customers and employees at checkout lines, including, but not limited to, only using every other checkout line, where and when possible.
• Install Plexiglas shields to separate employees from customers at checkout lines and other areas in the store where practicable.

General

• Communicate with customers through in-store signage, and public service announcements and advertisements, there should only be one person per household during shopping trips, whenever possible.
• Discontinue all self-serve foods (e.g., salad bar, olive bar) and product sampling.
• Allow “touchless” credit card transactions. If not possible, sanitize credit card machines (including pen) regularly and consistently.
• Cart and basket handles sanitized between uses (by staff).
• Wherever possible, employees will wear gloves and face masks at all times that they are interacting with customers and/or handling products.

In addition, Gov. Ned Lamont”™s Executive Order No. 7T permits, under certain conditions, food establishments and liquor manufacturers to deliver alcohol and allows additional manufacturers to sell alcoholic beverages for pick-up and delivery. The directive is meant to provide additional opportunities for those businesses to safely deliver their products directly to customers and reduce travel outside the home, the governor said.