“got this email from Safeway about 1 person per 150 sq feet”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

“Dear PoPville,

Last night I got this email from Safeway about 1 person per 150 sq feet. I went to Safeway this morning and there were people counting people entering. When I asked what the limit would be they said that they couldn’t disclose (?) it seems like if you could estimate the store size you could do it though.”

“To our valued customers and neighbors,

This week, families and friends throughout our region will observe Passover and Easter. From the Safeway family to yours, I want to share our warmest holiday wishes.

Together, as a region and as a nation, we are facing an unprecedented health crisis that limits our ability to physically gather to celebrate. But whether you are sitting down to a small Passover seder in person or an Easter dinner connected via online video, our stores are here to help make your holidays special.

We are also working to help keep our customers, associates, and vendors safe. As we all navigate the COVID-19 public health crisis together, please know Safeway is doing everything we can to prioritize the health of our associates, customers, and vendors, and to ensure our customers have access to the food, medications, and other essential goods you need at this critical time.

Every day our team looks for ways to improve our key services and safety measures. Today I’d like to share some updates, including significant actions we have recently taken and new procedures we are adding this week.

Easter Sunday, April 12
To allow our employees time to spend with their families, all Eastern Division Safeway stores in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Delaware will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 12th. Our stores will reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday, April 13th.

New Store Hours
• To allow for deep cleaning, sanitizing, and restocking, all Safeway Eastern Division stores (with the exception of select stores operating 24 hours/7 days a week) will now be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Safeway has reserved every Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7-9 a.m. so senior citizens, pregnant women, and customers with compromised immune systems can avoid crowds. We have asked all customers to please respect these special hours for our at-risk customers who need them most.

• To accommodate at-risk customers, all Safeway pharmacies will now open at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Safety and Cleaning Protocols We’ve Already Put in Place
• Our stores installed Plexiglas sneeze guards at check stands and other service counters to provide a protective barrier between customers and our cashiers and customer service associates.

• Every day, throughout each day, we are implementing enhanced measures to clean and disinfect all departments, restrooms, and other high touch points in our stores.

• Our store associates are washing their hands at least once per hour and are asked to stay home if they feel sick.

• Our associates are allowed to wear gloves and masks. We are in the process of sourcing disposable masks, and we will distribute them to associates as soon as they are available.

• Cart wipes and hand sanitizer stations are available at key locations within our stores for our customers’ safety and convenience.

• We have paused self-service operations like soup bars, wing bars, and salad bars.

• All of our stores are implementing social distancing practices. We are making regular audio announcements, and we have installed signage and designated waiting spots with floor markers at checkstands and other stations where people most often congregate, such as our service delis, bakeries, meat, and seafood departments, and pharmacies. At checkstands, we are asking customers to please wait until the customer in front of them has finished collecting their groceries before unloading.

Enhanced Social Distancing Through One-Way Traffic
Starting Friday, April 10th, our stores will be placing directional arrows on floors to promote one-way foot traffic through stores, including up and down aisles. This is in addition to decals already on the floors marking off 6-foot spaces at checkstands and other areas that can cause lines to form.

Limiting Store Occupancy
Also, on Friday, our stores will limit occupancy levels to one person per 150 square feet during normal business hours and one person per 300 square feet during special hours reserved for seniors and other vulnerable customers (Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7-9 a.m.). Each store will utilize one front entrance/exit to ensure enforcement, and a store associate will be assigned to the doors to manage traffic.

Self-Check Health Screenings
This week, Safeway stores are posting signs at entrances and in back rooms that ask everyone who visits our stores to perform a self-screening prior to shopping or clocking in. The signs ask associates, customers, and vendors to stay home if:
• a member of their household has been diagnosed with or is suspected to have COVID-19, or
• they have symptoms, including a cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, or chills and body aches

Dedicated Cleaning Staff
To maintain enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, our stores have assigned associates to positions exclusively responsible for cleaning surfaces throughout the stores.

Masks for all store, distribution, and manufacturing associates
We are in the process of sourcing masks for all front-line associates, and we will distribute them as soon as they are available. As a reminder, the CDC continues to recommend social distancing of at least six feet, even while wearing masks.

As we continue to serve our communities during the crisis, we will adjust our procedures to address new developments and meet changing needs. We appreciate our customers patience and understanding, and we will continue to keep you updated.

On behalf of our entire team at Safeway, it is an honor to serve the community at this important time. We look forward to helping you prepare for the upcoming holidays.

Sincerely,

Tom Lofland
President
Safeway, Eastern Division”