Walmart expands coronavirus precautions, will limit store capacity
Retail giant Walmart on Friday announced a new policy aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus at its stores across the country.
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The retailer will limit the number of customers who can be inside the store at one time, it said in a press release, to roughly 20 percent of the store’s capacity. Customers will be admitted one-by-one from a line formed at single-entry door.
Once the store reaches capacity, associates will follow a one person in-one person out method.
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Additionally, Walmart is implementing a one-way movement policy in its aisles, which will be marked.
“We always want people to feel welcome at Walmart, and we know that in ordinary times a store is a gathering place for members of a community to connect and socialize,” the company said in a press release. “We look forward to the time when that is again the case; however, we now want to prioritize health and safety by encouraging customers to do their shopping at a distance from others, then head home.”
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The new policies will go into effect Saturday.
Walmart also asked patrons to bring the least amount of family members with them as possible and practice social distancing while waiting in lines.
As of Friday evening, the U.S. had more than 270,470 confirmed cases, including nearly 103,000 in New York State.