An appreciation parade was recently held outside the Smith’s Marketplace. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
To further combat the coronavirus, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a new public health order last week, which restricts the number of customers in essential businesses to 20 percent of their maximum occupancy.
Perhaps the businesses that this new order impacts the most are grocery stores and the local food markets have taken numerous measures to comply.
Smith’s Food and Drug, which operates the Smith’s in White Rock and Smith’s Marketplace in Los Alamos, issued a press release regarding the changes it has implemented.
In the press release, Smith’s representatives announced April 7, that all Smith’s stores adopted customer capacity limits to further encourage physical distancing in stores. The number of customers in New Mexico is limited to 20 percent of the international building code’s calculated capacity to allow for proper physical distancing in every store.
Los Alamos Fire Marshall Wendy Survey reported that Smith’s temporary maximum occupancy based on the new public health order is 196 for the Los Alamos store and 77 in White Rock.
According to its press release, Smith’s is increasing its standard building capacity. For instance, the standard building capacity for a grocery store is one person per 60 square feet. Under Smith’s new reduced capacity limits, the number will be one person per 72 square feet. Additionally, Smith’s is monitoring the number of customers per square foot in its stores using its industry-leading QueVision technology, which already provides a count of the customers entering and exiting stores.
“Smith’s introduction of customer capacity limits is one more way we are doing our part to flatten the curve while operating as an essential business, providing our customers with access to fresh, affordable food and products,” Smith’s President Kenny Kimball said. “During this national pandemic, we are committed to adopting preventive measures to help protect the safety and health of our associates, customers and communities.”
“By leveraging QueVision, our technology system that uses infrared sensors and predictive analytics, we will be able to more efficiently support our new capacity limits, creating a safer environment for our customers and associates,” he added.
It is further reported in the press release that Smith’s new customer capacity limits joins other measures the retailer has established over the last few weeks to promote physical distancing, including the addition of plexiglass partitions and educational floor decals and airing of a healthy habits message via in-store radio to encourage customers to practice good hygiene and spatial awareness. Plus, one-way aisles are being tested in some stores to determine their effectiveness.
Furthermore, associates are encouraged to wear protective masks and gloves. According to the press release, the retailer ordered masks for its associates nationwide.
Smith’s is not the only grocery store in town that adjusted due to the public health order. Los Alamos Co-op Market General Manager Jim Fischer said the maximum occupancy is 36 people, which includes the market’s employees.
Measures instituted at the Co-op include marking six-feet spaces on the floor with stickers to encourage social distancing, he said. To further emphasize the importance of social distancing, Fischer said metal signs were installed with information on staying six feet apart from other people.
He added heads are counted in order to ensure the maximum number of people is not exceeded.
“We haven’t had any issues with over-crowding,” Fischer said.
Other measures include all employees wearing masks, wiping down the entire store every hour and installing plexiglass dividers at the cashier stands.
Fischer added that the store changed its hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is open for curbside pick-up only Sunday. Curbside delivery also is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Ricky Chhina, owner of Los Alamos Liquor and Indian Groceries, 1650 Trinity Dr., #125, said his store’s maximum occupancy is four to six people. He said they make sure no more than six people are in the business at a time.
“We have had no problems,” Chhina said.
Furthermore, Chhina said plexiglass dividers were being installed, and the entire store is disinfected once a week. He also placed stickers on the floor to mark six feet spaces.
Los Alamos Liquor and Indian Groceries has changed its hours, too. The store is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
