Colorado governor proposes new safety protocols for grocery store customers and employees

As the governor and mayors across Colorado preach social distancing, thousands of people continue to crowd grocery stores. The large crowds are putting everyone at a higher risk of spreading COVID-19.

On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis sent a letter to the presidents of multiple companies including Albertsons Companies, which owns Safeway, and The Kroger Co., which owns King Soopers and City Market. The letter encourages new safety protocols for customers and employees to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

- Providing appropriate gloves, masks, face screens, and other personal protective equipment to grocery store workers to the extent possible

- Consider expanding into grocery delivery services, prioritizing service to those at the highest risk

- Provide daily designated time periods for higher-risk individuals to shop

- Establish entrance/access controls to ensure crowds are in compliance with safe social distancing practices

- To the extent possible, assign those employees with higher health-risks to tasks with lowest exposure risks such as backroom work

“I want to thank you, as a business leader in Colorado, for your efforts to date working in partnership with our state, your employees, and your customers to better protect our public health and food security during this extraordinarily challenging period,” part of the letter reads.